'Law & Order' Crew Member Who Was Shot Dead Sparks Fundraiser for His Family

A fundraiser for the family of Johnny Pizarro II, the Law & Order: Organized Crime crew member shot and killed in Brooklyn on July 19, has raised over $30,000 for his six children and family. Pizarro was fatally shot by an unknown assailant while sitting in his car to enforce parking restrictions before filming was scheduled to start that day. The crime shocked many residents, as it was the first homicide in the neighborhood of 2022. Pizarro was 31.

On Friday, the Grigoropoulos Law Group PLLC, which is representing Pizarro's estate and family, established a GoFundMe to help his family. So far, 279 donors have donated a combined $30,527 of the $250,000 goal. "Words cannot describe the emptiness his family and dearest friends feel. He was the bright light and heart of so many lives and his memory will be eternal," the fundraiser note reads. Pizarro's funeral mass was scheduled for Tuesday morning at St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn.

Pizarro was a member of the Communications Workers of America Local 1101 union, which also offered condolences to his family. "Our members' safety is our highest priority and the PPAs perform an inherently dangerous job which entails long hours at night, sometimes by themselves, on the New York City streets securing parking," CWA Local 1101 president Keith Purce said in a statement to Deadline. "The union has raised these safety issues in negotiations with the production companies. We will continue to pursue provisions in our Agreements that will provide the safest possible working environment for our members."

Pizarro was shot and killed early Tuesday morning while sitting in his car, waiting for Organized Crime filming to start. He was enforcing parking restrictions on the street. The shooting surprised many residents as this was the first homicide in the 94th Precinct of the year, reports the New York Post. Organized Crime producers shut down filming after the shooting. The suspect ran from the scene and is still wanted, police said. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black pants.

"We were terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of our crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result," a spokeswoman for NBC and Universal Television said Tuesday. "We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time."

"The safety of all New Yorkers is our top priority," Fabien Levy, press secretary for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, told Deadline Tuesday. "No shooting is acceptable, which is why we are working every day to get illegal guns off New York City streets. The NYPD is actively investigating the fatal shooting of a crew member of Law and Order: Organized Crime early this morning. We offer our deepest condolences to the victim's family, friends, and coworkers during this difficult time, and will work diligently to bring the suspect to justice and stem the tide of gun violence we are seeing."

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