Mother of 5 dead after shooting in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, police say

A Brooklyn mother was fatally shot outside a bar and lounge in Crown Heights early Sunday morning.

Sofronie Hartzog, 33, was shot in the back. She's a mother of five children, ages 6 to 18. She ran into the nearby Oh La La Lounge for help after the shooting, but died later at the hospital.

The shooter remains on the run. So far, there have been no arrests.

Investigators say an argument broke out in the area just before 2:30 a.m., leading to gunfire. There was a group of about 100 people gathered near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue, investigators said. They scattered when someone started firing a gun. Neighbors said they saw someone fire indiscriminately toward the crowd. A 34-year-old man was also shot in the stomach, and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Hartzog's family was out of town when they got the news. They are still struggling to process the devastating loss. Hartzog's aunt describes the mother of five as a dedicated caregiver for people with disabilities who poured her heart into both her family and her work.

The family says she was enjoying a well-deserved night out when the shooting took her life. They're pleading with anyone with information to come forward.

Police recovered multiple shell casings from the scene while searching for witnesses and surveillance video on Sunday.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on X, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included a misspelling of the victim's name, which has been corrected.