Founder of 'Bed-Stuy Aquarium' sentenced to 12 years in prison for 2023 shooting
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office says the incident occurred in June 2023, outside a bar adjacent to the aquarium.
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One of the founders of the "Bed-Stuy Aquarium" has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for shooting a man during an argument last year.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office says the incident occurred in June 2023, outside a bar adjacent to the aquarium. The DA's office says Hajj Lovick got into an argument, pulled a knife on the victim, left the bar, and later returned to shoot the man twice in the leg.
Residents expressed shock over his sentencing.
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“I knew Hajj. He was very nice,” said Emma Skoler, a Bed-Stuy resident. “One day, when a woman said she was going to attack me, Hajj jumped out of his car and defended me. It’s really sad — I’ve been wondering where he’s been.”
Lovick was convicted of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, among other charges.
The victim survived the incident.
The Bed-Stuy Aquarium, which opened last summer, became a symbol of community, which some say is now slightly tainted due to the incident.
