Gunfire erupts outside crowded Brooklyn lounge
According to the NYPD, trouble broke out at around 2:23 a.m. near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue, where a confrontation involving a crowd of roughly 100 people had gathered outside the venue.
At some point during the disturbance, shots were fired.
Police said Hartzog and a 34-year-old man were struck by stray gunfire and were apparently unintended victims. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Despite being wounded, Hartzog managed to make her way inside the lounge in search of help.
She reached a bathroom before collapsing.
Emergency crews rushed the mother to One Brooklyn Health–Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, but doctors were unable to save her.
The second victim was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County and was reported to be in stable condition.
Family remembers devoted mother
Hartzog’s death has devastated relatives and neighbors, who described her as a devoted mother whose life centered around her five children.
Her aunt, Melinda Hartzog, expressed her grief after learning what had happened, saying simply that her niece had been killed.
“She was the best person in the world,” the grieving aunt said.
Neighbor Jennifer Ortiz also remembered Hartzog for the care she showed her children, recalling how the family was regularly seen together and how much attention the mother paid to them.
Ortiz said the children were often smiling and beautifully dressed, describing the loss as difficult to comprehend.
Police still searching for those responsible
Investigators have not publicly revealed what triggered the original dispute or who fired the shot that struck Hartzog.
Two men who initially matched descriptions connected to the shooting were taken into custody, according to sources cited in the report. However, they were later released after investigators determined they were not involved.
That means the person or people responsible remained at large at the time of the report.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the gunfire and searching for those involved.
For Hartzog’s family, however, the consequences are already irreversible: five children have lost their mother after she was caught in gunfire police say was never intended for her.