Man arrested after fatal shooting in Oxford Circle

A SPAT BETWEEN two men in Oxford Circle ended in fatal gunfire yesterday, with the shooter claiming he fired in self-defense on a man who tried to gun him down.

Officers responding to reports of gunfire found the victim, 29, shot once in the chest and lying on the pavement on Dorcas Street near Hellerman just after 2 p.m. They took him to Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later, Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Near the man's body was a bag containing nearly two pounds of what police believe to be marijuana. It's unclear what role, if any, the drugs played in the shooting, according to Small.

At the scene, a 30-year-old man, who police declined to identify, told investigators he was the shooter, Small said.

He claimed that the victim had come to the block to confront him. During the encounter, the 29-year-old pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and opened fire, ultimately missing his target, the older man told police.

In the chaos, the 30-year-old ran into his relatives' house on the block and grabbed a rifle, which he fired once at the gunman on the sidewalk.

Police recovered both the handgun that the victim allegedly wielded as well as the rifle used in the shooting, Small said. The rifle was still inside the home's living room, where police also found a second handgun.

Small said it was unclear if the man had permits for the weapons, or if they even belonged to him. The address he gave detectives is located outside the city, and he said he's visiting family in Oxford Circle.

The 30-year-old was taken in for questioning by Homicide detectives, as were several witnesses to the shooting, Small said. No charges have been filed in the incident.

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