Two men were shot in the head during separate fights in Queens and Brooklyn early Feb. 14, police said, and one of the victims later died as investigators searched for the shooters and tried to determine what sparked the violence.
The shootings happened hours apart on Valentine’s Day morning, one at a laundromat in Springfield Gardens and the other inside a lounge in East Flatbush. In both cases, police said the gunmen fled before officers arrived. The incidents added to a string of recent gun cases in New York City in which everyday disputes have turned into life-or-death emergencies.
In Queens, police said a dispute began inside Wash and Fold Super Laundry on North Conduit Avenue and spilled outside shortly after 8:30 a.m. Officers responding to a call found a 31-year-old employee with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. The man was identified by local reporting as Dominick Lowery. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died, according to accounts published after the shooting.
Investigators said the argument involved a customer and escalated quickly. Police described the confrontation as a fight that started in the store and continued outside, where the shooter fired and then ran off. A police source cited in local coverage said the disagreement involved a request for free soap. Detectives said they were reviewing evidence from the scene and looking for any video that could show the moments before the shot and the direction the gunman took after leaving the laundromat.
The laundromat sits along a busy stretch near other businesses, and the shooting unfolded in daylight. Police set up a crime scene outside the storefront and worked to identify witnesses who may have seen the start of the dispute or the shooter’s escape route. Investigators also worked to clarify whether the suspect and the victim knew each other, or whether the conflict began as a brief encounter between strangers.
The second shooting came earlier the same morning in Brooklyn. Police said an argument broke out around 4:30 a.m. inside Quilox Restaurant and Lounge on Church Avenue near East 95th Street in East Flatbush. A 30-year-old man was shot in the head during the dispute, police said, and was taken to Brookdale Hospital in critical condition.
In that case, police said the shooting happened inside the venue and that the suspect fled before officers arrived. Detectives were left to piece together what happened in a crowded nightlife setting where people can scatter quickly after gunfire. Investigators canvassed the area for witnesses and video, including security footage from inside the business and nearby cameras that might have captured a suspect leaving.
Authorities had not publicly identified the Brooklyn victim by name as of the latest reports, and police did not release a description of the shooter. Detectives also did not say what led to the argument or whether the victim had any prior connection to the person who fired. The crime scene response focused on determining where inside the lounge the shot was fired and who may have been standing nearby.
While the two shootings occurred in different boroughs and appeared unrelated, investigators described a similar pattern: a dispute, a rapid escalation, a shot to the head and a suspect who vanished into the city. Police said that in both cases they were still trying to identify the shooters and asked for help from anyone who may have recorded video or witnessed the incidents.
The laundromat shooting, in particular, drew attention because it unfolded during a routine workday and involved a workplace dispute that ended in a killing. Investigators said the case would likely hinge on identifying the customer involved in the argument and locating video that captured the suspect’s face, clothing or vehicle. Detectives also sought to confirm the exact sequence of events outside the storefront, including whether there were other witnesses directly involved in the fight.
In Brooklyn, the setting created its own challenges. Police said the lounge shooting happened in the early morning hours when patrons may have been leaving, security staff may have been moving people toward exits and noise can make it harder to quickly understand what is happening. Investigators focused on locating people who were inside at the time, including employees and patrons, and comparing statements with any surveillance video.
Officials did not say whether either suspect used the same type of firearm or whether shell casings recovered at the scenes provided immediate leads. Police also did not say how many shots were fired in either incident. In both cases, investigators emphasized that they were still gathering evidence and that early accounts can shift as detectives identify witnesses and review video.
New York City detectives often use a combination of footage, witness interviews and gun forensics to build cases after shootings in public places. A key step is mapping the suspect’s movement away from the scene, which can involve reviewing video from multiple businesses and traffic cameras across several blocks. Investigators also look for cellphones that may have recorded the argument or the shooter, especially in nightlife settings where people are already filming.
The two cases remained open with no arrests announced in the latest updates. Police said the Queens shooting was being investigated as a homicide after the victim’s death. The Brooklyn case remained an attempted homicide investigation as the victim fought for his life.
As investigators continued to work both scenes, police said they expected additional updates once detectives confirmed suspect information and completed early interviews. The next milestone, police said, would be identifying the shooters and determining whether either dispute involved people who knew each other or whether the confrontations were sudden clashes that turned deadly.
Author note: Last updated February 17, 2026.