A gay man who just finished celebrating his anniversary with his husband was walking his dog in the Hamilton Heights section of Manhattan early in the morning on June 10 when he was shot and killed by a rifle-wielding man who was trying to shoot somebody else.
Winston McKay, 40, was shot in the leg in front of 501 West 146th Street near Amsterdam Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. before he was transported by EMS to Harlem Hospital, where he died, according to the NYPD.
Cops said the tragedy unfolded when the shooter, who is still on the loose, pointed his weapon at an unidentified 26-year-old man and threatened to shoot him. The 26-year-old started to walk away, prompting the shooter to fire at him, but he missed — and instead hit McKay, striking an artery in his leg.
Video surveillance footage provided by the NYPD shows the shooter aiming his gun at the scene of the incident.
McKay’s husband, Terry Solomon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on June 13. Solomon told the Daily News that he and his husband had invited friends and loved ones to their anniversary celebration at Donnellan Square, a park across from where they lived together. They spent $2,000 on a feast that featured chicken, fish, peas and rice, corn, and strawberry shortcake, according to the Daily News.
Solomon quickly hurried to the scene after receiving a phone call, and according to reports cops initially were skeptical that he was McKay’s husband. By the time he arrived, an ambulance had already taken off with McKay’s body. Solomon waited for hours at the hospital to see his husband’s body, but authorities would not allow it due to the criminal investigation.
The couple met nearly two decades ago when they made eye contact in a subway station. McKay turned around to follow Solomon onto the train and their relationship blossomed from there.
Cops say an investigation is ongoing and authorities are continuing to search for the killer. The suspect is described as a male with braids, between 18 and 25 years of age, roughly 5’8” to 5’10”, and was last seen wearing a red hoodie, a blue jacket, gray sweatpants, and black and white sneakers.
Anyone with information about this crime or this suspect is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers line at 800-577-TIPS.
