A young man shot to death inside a Brooklyn apartment building’s vestibule helped raise his four younger siblings since his mother’s death four years ago from a heart attack on Christmas Day, the victim’s heartbroken family says.
Jarell Sutton, 24, was shot in the chest in the vestibule of a three-story building on Euclid Ave. near Pitkin Ave. in East New York about 12:10 a.m. Tuesday, cops said.
“This is a horrible, traumatic loss for our family. He was definitely loved,” said the victim’s aunt Drina Sutton, 35.
“He has younger siblings who are hurt. He leaves a father who is raising them on his own because his mother passed away on Christmas,”
Medics rushed Jarell to Brookdale University Hospital, but he could not be saved.
Jarell leaves behind a 12-year-old sister and three brothers, ages 15, 2, and 2 months.
“He was the caretaker for his four younger brothers and sisters,” said Tanisha Sutton, another aunt. “He did odd jobs. He did construction, carpentry and babysitting.”
Jarell had three active cases against him in Brooklyn Criminal Court when he was killed, public records show.
He was most recently arrested on drug charges in December when he was caught urinating in public and cops allegedly found 10 Ecstasy pills on him.
In January 2024 he was arrested after being stopped in a stolen car with crack and heroin found inside, law enforcement sources said. In October 2022 he was busted on gun and drug charges.
It wasn’t immediately clear if there was a link between his slaying and his alleged criminal past.
“He didn’t have problems on the street,” said Tanisha. “We know it might come out that he had a criminal past. We trusted him with our children. He took them to school. He comes from a good and loving family.”
The victim was a student athlete who played basketball for Paul Robeson High School in Crown Heights.
“He had a passion for basketball,” said Drina.
The shooting occurred in a small vestibule between the front door and the door to the lobby. At least part of the shooting was caught on building surveillance cameras, the building owner, who would only identify himself as Sam, said.
Cops were reviewing the surveillance footage in an attempt to figure out how the shooting unfolded and identify the killer. No arrests have been made.
Jarell’s family said they don’t know what led him to the building where he was killed. Another 24-year-old man wounded in the violence showed up at the same hospital by private means with a minor gunshot wound to his foot.
