Friends Gather to Mourn 25-Year-Old DJ Slain in Bronx

Dozens of loving messages written on balloons were released into the sky Tuesday night as friends gather to mourn Oliver Askia who was shot and killed in the Bronx last weekend.

The 25-year-old DJ and hookah shop owner was gunned down Saturday and the shooter is still on the run, according to police. Askia's friends and family remember him as a kind person and they're struggling to understand why anyone would want to hurt him.

"He was a pure and kind-hearted soul. He was the best entrepreneur I've ever met," Askia's business partner Norman Fernandez told NBC New York.

Law enforcement sources say Askia, originally from Brooklyn, was shot in the chest outside of the crowded Krystal Bar and Lounge on University Avenue. 

"Oliver didn't deserve this at all," said his cousin, Lucyayana Guity. "He wouldn't hurt anybody, so for this to happen to him really hurts, not only my soul but my family's souls, his friends."

Police say Askia had no history of any arrests and that the gunman is not believed to be known to him, according to sources.

Law enforcement is continuing the search for the suspect and anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Photo Credit: Alejandro Duran

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