Brooklyn, New York, USA – The tragic shooting of a 30-year-old Nigerian immigrant and aspiring fashion designer inside a nightclub in the United States has sparked widespread outrage and debate across social media platforms. Sheriff Shittu was fatally shot in the head during the early hours of Saturday at the Quilox Restaurant and Lounge, an entertainment venue located in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.
The incident has prompted Nigerians online to demand strict accountability for the security failures that led to the loss of life.
Okay News reports that the fatal altercation began around 4:25 a.m. when an intoxicated patron allegedly began harassing female guests, including Shittu’s girlfriend. According to his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, the siblings initially left the premises to avoid the conflict but returned moments later to retrieve a forgotten mobile phone. As the disruptive patron was being escorted out of the building by management, a gunshot was fired, striking the young designer. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The tragedy occurred just one day before the victim’s mother, Foluke Shittu, was scheduled to arrive in New York from Nigeria for a family visit, leaving her to discover the devastating news only after landing. Online commentators have expressed profound grief over the incident while sharply criticizing the venue’s management for allowing a firearm on the premises.
Writing on the social media platform X, user @stargurl003 questioned the security protocols, stating: “How does someone walk into Quilox Restaurant and Lounge with a weapon at 4am? If clubs profit from packed nights, they should be fully accountable for security. One life lost is one too many. Justice for Sheriff and real accountability please,we can do better”
The incident also triggered comparative discussions about global security and the safety of Nigerians in the diaspora. Highlighting the confusion surrounding the club’s name, which shares a moniker with a popular venue in Lagos, Nigeria, user @JohnEtebom wrote: “I almost thought is Quilox in Lekki, Glad it is not, we don’t need more negative publicity. The way people are shot randomly in UK is alarming.”
Similarly, user @welcomekashami drew parallels to domestic security challenges, noting that critics often use local insecurity to label the country unfairly, despite gun violence occurring globally.
As of Sunday, the unidentified gunman remains at large, having fled the Brooklyn scene immediately after the shooting. While law enforcement authorities in New York continue their investigation into the murder, Shittu’s grieving family maintains that they will pursue justice and continue building his envisioned fashion brand, Riff Ent, to honor his memory.
