Deaf-Mute Man Gunned Down Near City Bus Stop

From: WABC-TV - Jan 23, 2004

By Lisa Colagrossi

(Brownsville-WABC, January 23, 2004) — A deaf-mute man has been shot and killed in an apparent robbery in Brooklyn. It took place around 1:45 a.m. near the intersection of Hegeman and Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville.

Police are trying to piece together exactly what happened. They say the victim was a 25-year-old Kevin Lazare. Lazare is from nearby East New York who may have been standing at the bus stop just waiting for a bus when this shooting happened.

The victim was also deaf-mute. They say they have reason to believe that, because once the ambulance arrived they were unable to communicate with him in any way. He was shot three times in the back and he died at Brookdale Hospital. Police say they are not sure at this point if a robbery was the motive and they don't know if anything was taken from him.

But officials say if that is the case, its possible that the man did not even know what was happening to him. So far, no arrests have been made in this case and there are no suspects.

Lazare has lived in nearby East New York for the past 16 years and was leaving a late-night basketball game at nearby JHS 275. Family members say his father died several weeks ago in Trinidad.

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