Sofronie Hartzog, 33, was shot and killed in Crown Heights in the early morning of Sunday, August 16, 2026. The shooting happened near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue during a large gathering of nearly 100 people after a dispute involving several women — police say the fight may have included relatives of Hartzog’s former boyfriend. Friends of Hartzog reportedly retrieved a gun from her vehicle and fired into the air; someone in the opposing group then allegedly shot back, and Hartzog was struck in the back.

Wounded, Hartzog made it into the nearby Ooh La La Lounge and Bar where employees tried to help her. She was taken to Brookdale University Hospital and pronounced dead. A 34-year-old man was also wounded in the abdomen and was expected to survive. Investigators recovered multiple shell casings and began reviewing surveillance footage and witness interviews, but no arrests were announced and the shooter remains at large.

Friends and family remember Hartzog as a caregiver for people with disabilities and a devoted mother to five children, ages 6 to 18. Does anyone who was near Bergen and Howard on August 16 have information or footage that could help investigators?