'Law & Order: Organized Crime' Crew Member Shot And Killed On Set In New York City

A crew member for Law & Order: Organized Crime was shot dead in the parking as he saved parking spots early Tuesday morning, New York City police said, reported CNN.

The 31-year-old man crew member was identified by police on Tuesday afternoon as Johnny Pizarro of Queens. He was sitting in his car in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn when an unidentified person approached the car at about 5.15 am, opened the door, and shot him in the neck and head. No arrest has been made, and it is unclear if the two had a prior connection.

Pizarro worked to clear parking spaces and guard equipment trucks for the show, which was preparing to film in the neighborhood Tuesday morning. The victim was taken to the hospital immediately but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at 6.00 am.

Investigators are now searching for the gunman and a motive, even canvassing surveillance footage in the area, Mason said. In a statement, NBC and Universal Television, which produces the series, said they were "terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of [their] crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result. We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time," the statement reads.

According to law enforcement, it’s still unclear if Pizarro was shot on the actual set, or if filming was supposed to occur at the site of the shooting, Deadline reported on Tuesday.

New York City mayor Eric Adams’s office offered condolences on Tuesday morning. “The safety of all New Yorkers is our top priority,” Fabien Levy, the mayor’s press secretary, told Deadline. “We offer our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers during this difficult time, and will work diligently to bring the suspect to justice and stem the tide of gun violence we are seeing.”

Law & Order: Organized Crime is filming its third season, which premieres in September. The spinoff of the venerable crime franchise stars SVU‘s Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, a member of the NYPD organized crime unit. The series follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they work to dismantle New York City’s most vicious and violent illegal enterprises. Danielle Moné Truitt, Ainsley Seiger and Nona Parker Johnson also star in the series, which is being showrun by Bryan Goluboff.