MTA Bus Driver Shot Dead at Queens Burger Bar, Two Suspects at Large

Demitri McKay Jr., 29, was fatally shot inside Hangar 11 restaurant in Kew Gardens, Queens, early Tuesday. No arrests have been made.

MTA Driver Killed by Stray Bullet at Kew Gardens Restaurant

A 29-year-old MTA bus driver was shot and killed inside a Queens burger bar in the early hours of Tuesday morning, nydailynews.com reports.

Demitri McKay Jr. was struck by a bullet in the left arm at Hangar 11 on Metropolitan Ave. near Lefferts Blvd. in Kew Gardens at around 1:30 a.m. Police sources said the bullet passed through his arm and struck his heart. Medics transported him to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

McKay Jr. had joined the MTA in 2024 and had no criminal history, according to police. He lived in Queens Village and would have turned 30 in August.

His father, Demitri McKay Sr., posted a tribute on Facebook describing his son as being at the "wrong place, wrong time." He said the young man had been a homebody who rarely went out.

"Ordinarily he stays home because he was a home body," the father wrote. "Last night he decided to go out with his girlfriend."

McKay Sr. described his son as "a great man who loved the lord with all his heart" and said his own heart was "broken into a million pieces." He added: "Total tragedy struck him and my family."

Witnesses told police that two men fled the restaurant after the shooting — one wearing a blue Nike track suit and the other a pink hoodie. No arrests have been made.

Hangar 11, which stays open until 3 a.m. on Monday nights, is known for a lively bar scene. Investigators were reviewing surveillance footage from the area Tuesday in an effort to identify the suspects.

Source: Google News JM — Crime