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The murder scene, Jan. 29.
The deadly argument erupted inside Michael Fernandez’s alleged crack and prostitution den by the Q River. But it had nothing to do with drugs.
“Where’s my quad?” one man asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fernandez replied.
Then the bullets started flying.
That was the scene on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 29, at a condo at 24 Front St., according to an account pieced together from people familiar with the investigation.
By the time the bullets stopped flying, Fernandez and a man named Marquis Sumler were shot dead. A third man was shot, too; he made it to Poplar Street before police caught up with him.
Two alleged gunmen remain at large. Police have leads and are actively pursuing the men.
It has become apparent since the shootings that the incident had nothing to do with drugs, but rather with a dirt bike-style four-wheel all-terrain vehicle.
Neighbors at first figured the incident was drug-related. That’s because the condo’s blatant drug dealing has been such a problem for them. The condo’s landlord had been in the process of evicting the official tenant. Fernandez allegedly ran a drug and prostitution operation inside the condo, but did not live there.
But an unrelated dispute had allegedly developed between Fernandez and the alleged first shooter.
People familiar with the incident offered some conflicting details about what happened. Here are some agreed-upon elements of the storyline being fleshed out, according to people with knowledge of the investigation:
The dispute involved a quad that Fernandez had sought to sell the alleged first shooter.
The alleged shooter put some money down. But not the whole price.
In the meantime, Fernandez sold the quad to someone else.
The alleged shooter then saw the quad at a Fair Haven auto repair shop (which has since closed after its roof collapsed from the recent snowfall). He tried to claim the quad; an employee at the shop told him that he had bought it.
Next the alleged shooter showed up at the Front Street condo, a small unit. He came with a second man as back-up.
The alleged shooter entered the condo. Near the front door, the alleged shooter confronted Fernandez about the quad; Fernandez denied having it. The alleged shooter fired; Fernandez dropped.
A friend of Fernandez was standing some 15 feet away from the front door, in a kitchen area separated by a half wall from the front foyer. So was Sumler. Others were in the condo too.
A gun battle broke out. In the end, Sumler was killed. According to one account, Fernandez’s friend by the half wall was shot twice, by bullets from two different guns. The first bullet was a .380. It struck him below his right breast and went straight out his back. It felled him, but he got back to his feet and ran to the rear door. A second bullet, from a .45, hit his lower back. That, too, exited his body.
The friend was able to flee out a side door. As he headed toward Front Street, he encountered the original shooter, who was now outside. More gunfire was exchanged; then everyone scrammed.
The case remains under investigation. Police officials had no comment pending completion of the investigation. Police ask anyone with information to call 203 – 946-6304.