An up-and-coming Inwood rapper was shot dead in front of his twin brother and a handful of friends about a block away from his home, though police are not sure if he was the gunman’s intended target, sources and relatives said Friday.
Luis Dela Cruz, 20, who goes by the nickname CEO, was gunned down about 9 p.m. Thursday at Thayer St. and Sherman Ave. in Inwood, police said.
His twin, Andri Dela Cruz, said the shooting occurred so fast he didn’t know what was happening.
“Some people just walked up to us from behind and started shooting and it hit my brother,” the grieving sibling said. “We went to the hospital then I went to the precinct, they wouldn’t even let me see my brother, I got back to the hospital and he was dead.”
Cops say Dela Cruz had no criminal record. When police arrived at the scene, medics had already taken him to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he died. The bullet struck a major artery in his leg and he bled out, doctors told investigators.
The gunman ran off and was still being sought Friday. Cops were trying to determine if the gunman intended to shoot Dela Cruz or if the young rapper was just collateral damage.
The section of Thayer St. where Dela Cruz was shot is known for its illegal drug trade and violence, neighbors said.
Heartbroken relatives and friends said Dela Cruz worked as a lifeguard as he recorded music videos and tried to get a foothold in the rapping world.
“He had a lot of love for people,” his brother said. “He was trying to do good.”
Relatives were left stunned by Dela Cruz’s killing.
“I can’t believe it, I am waiting for him to walk into my room and say ‘Whadup V, I’m going to work or something,'” his heartbroken sister Vizandri DeLa Cruz, 22, said. “He was always protective of the people he loved, especially the girls in his life, especially me.”
Wracked with grief, Dela Cruz’s parents could barely form words when asked about their son Friday.
“We are devastated,” his father Luis Dela Cruz said in between sobs as his wife wailed uncontrollably nearby.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS