What to Know
- Cops found a dead man rolled up inside a red carpet outside a Starbucks in Manhattan early Thursday, authorities say
- A passerby saw shoes or feet sticking out of the carpet in front of the shop on 145th Street in Harlem just before 6 a.m. and called 911
- Officers responded and found the body; the man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene
A man was found dead inside a red carpet in front of a Starbucks in Manhattan early Thursday, authorities say.
The grim discovery was made outside the coffee shop at 145th Street and Frederick Douglass in Harlem just before 6 a.m., police said.
A passerby walking in the area at the time called 911 after seeing feet or shoes sticking out of the rolled up carpet, authorities said. Officers responding to the call found the man clothed and unconscious inside it.
According to law enforcement sources familiar with the case, the victim had a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and has not yet been identified.
A law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the investigation tells News 4 the dead man is thought to be between 20 and 30 years old; he was wearing gray pants and a T-shirt. It's not clear how long he may have been dead, but the source said investigators believe he was killed elsewhere and later dumped outside the Starbucks.
Chopper 4 showed a huge law enforcement presence at the scene, with at least a dozen vehicles cordoning off the block as detectives canvassed the area. A blue tent and evidence markers were evident; yellow police tape hung everywhere; it was draped over multiple vehicles and stretched for what appeared to be at least a full block radius.
The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine how the man died. The investigation is ongoing.
