A New Year’s Day outing turned tragic for Issa Mbolo-Isac, a devoted father of four and longtime rideshare driver, when what started as a minor traffic dispute escalated into deadly violence in the Bronx. The city’s first homicide of 2026 claimed Mbolo-Isac’s life just hours after the ball dropped in Times Square, leaving friends, family, and the taxi community reeling.
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Mbolo-Isac Cab Driver Killed In Deadly Road Rage
Police found 55-year-old Issa Mbolo-Isac with fatal gunshot wounds to the head near Morris Avenue and the Cross Bronx Expressway in Mount Hope around 7 a.m. And, EMS workers pronounced him dead at the scene. A native of Burkina Faso, Mbolo-Isac had spent 10 years driving rideshare vehicles, most recently with Uber, and was described by colleagues as a “hard-working man” who “was never in trouble.”
Mbolo-Isac Shot Twice In Head After Traffic Clash
According to Fernando Mateo, spokesperson for the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, the shooting began after a fender-bender. Two men in another vehicle started arguing with Issa Mbolo-Isac and “chased him down [trying] to physically take him out of the car,” Mateo revealed. “When he refused to get out of the car, he accelerated the vehicle,” Mateo added. “These two individuals turned around and shot through the window…impacting him twice in the head,” he said. Mbolo-Isac’s family and co-workers are demanding justice, with the federation offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the killers. His brother, Mounir Zoron, called the assailants “criminals” and “animals,” emphasizing that Issa “did absolutely nothing to deserve this.”
Eyewitness Details Bronx Shooting, Suspect Possibly Fled To DR
An eyewitness, who stayed anonymous behind sunglasses and a ski mask, described the chilling moments that led up to the shooting. The man said the gunman stepped out of an after-hours bar to find his car damaged in a fender-bender. And then, seemingly without thinking, began firing at every passing vehicle. “He was coming in and out of the place, and he saw that somebody had swiped his car, and he just walked out and just started shooting at every car that was going by,” the witness explained through a translator.
Fernando Mateo added that, based on what the eyewitness reported, the shooter “was just upset and started shooting and shot the driver,” painting a terrifying picture of a random act of violence that ended a father’s life. “We believe the shooter is a Dominican immigrant,” Mateo said. “We believe if he hasn’t fled to the Dominican Republic, he was probably very close to fleeing there.”
More Shootings Hit NYC Hours Into New Year
The Bronx tragedy marked one of several shootings across the city early Thursday. More gunfire erupted moments after the Times Square ball drop, leaving a 61-year-old man shot in East New York. And, another incident left a 26-year-old woman wounded in Cypress Hills. Near Yankee Stadium, a gunman fired at three men on the Grand Concourse, leaving at least one injured. Lastly, authorities say motives are still under investigation, and the suspect from the last incident remains at large.
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