New York City

Cops: Man Shot, Killed in Target at Brooklyn's City Point Shopping Center

The fury unfolded at the store’s location at City Point, a multi-use shopping center on Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn

What to Know

  • A 25-year-old man was shot and killed at Target store in Brooklyn late Wednesday, police said
  • The alleged gunman was being chased by four men he had gotten into a dispute with; one of the men in the group had a machete, cops said
  • A spokesperson for Target said the store is scheduled to open as normal Thursday, given the NYPD clears the scene in time

A man being chased by a group of men armed with a machete shot and killed another man inside a Brooklyn Target minutes before the store was set to close, police say.

The fury unfolded at the store’s location at City Point, a multi-use shopping center on Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn, around 11:30 p.m., when the alleged gunman stormed inside as he was being chased by at least four men he had just gotten into a dispute with, according to the NYPD.

The victim, 25-year-old-year-old Carlton Spencer, tried to approach the shooter from the side when the gunman turned to the would-be attacker and shot him once in the chest, said police, who added the victim was unarmed.

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The other three men in the group fled the area, but were quickly taken into custody, police said. The shooter was also taken into custody; their names have not yet been released.

Spencer was rushed to an area hospital, but was unable to be saved. Police said he had a criminal history, with his most recent arrest happening just days ago.

Sources say the store was immediately shut down and evacuated as police, already in the mall complex, rushed to the scene within minutes. No workers or customers were injured.

Police said a gun was recovered and the investigation is ongoing. 

A spokesperson for Target said the store would be closed Thursday. 

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Brooklyn Borough President Erica Adams said the group is believed to be tied to previous robberies in the Fulton Mall area. 

"One should not enter Target and become a target of a crime," he said. 

"This is madness, the fact that this can happen now at Target," said store security guard Anthony Pearson, who missed the shooting by 10 minutes Wednesday night. He wondered whether he should find a new line of work.

"I have a son. I don't want to go through this type of drama," he said. 

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