Nigerian Designer Fatally Shöt Inside Brooklyn Nightclub, Suspect on the Run

A night out turned tragic after 30-year-old Nigerian immigrant and aspiring fashion designer Sheriff Shittu was shot dead inside Quilox Restaurant and Lounge in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident occurred around 4:25 a.m. when a gunman opened fire inside the venue. Sheriff had been out with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, celebrating a friend’s birthday just a day before their mother was due to arrive from Nigeria for a visit.

According to Fawaz, the situation escalated after a reportedly intoxicated patron began groping women, including Sheriff’s girlfriend. A brief altercation followed. Though the brothers initially left the club, they returned minutes later after Sheriff realised he had left his phone behind.

As the man was being escorted out, the club owner reportedly tried to defuse the tension. Moments later, a gunshot rang out.

“I heard ‘pow,’ and I looked down and I saw my brother,” Fawaz recounted. “I was screaming his name. I was trying to wake him up.”

A bartender attempted CPR before medics rushed Sheriff to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The shooter fled the scene and remains at large.

The grieving family has raised concerns about how the gunman entered the club with a weapon, citing possible security failures.

Sheriff, who moved to the U.S. in 2018, worked as a security guard while building his fashion brand, Riff Ent. Family members described him as a kind, protective, and devoted individual.

In a heartbreaking twist, their mother, Foluke Shittu, only learned of her son’s death after landing in New York for her scheduled visit.

Despite the devastating loss, the family says they remain committed to advancing Sheriff’s fashion dream while seeking justice for his killing.