Purcell Gowie Jr., a 43-year-old counselor and Brooklyn resident, was shot and killed while walking to a doctor’s appointment in East Harlem on February 12. The shooting occurred in front of 228 East 116th Street; Gowie was found unconscious and unresponsive and later died at a nearby hospital after a single gunshot to the chest. He had worked seven years as a counselor and had recently earned a degree in social work while working full time.

The NYPD described the incident as gang-related and sought a male suspect between 18 and 25 years old. Weeks later, on March 6, 19-year-old Luis Gustavo Sánchez Arenales was taken into custody at Washington Dulles International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Mexico. Any readers who knew Purcell Gowie or have information about the shooting are asked to come forward.