Man and woman found shot in the head inside East Harlem apartment

Man and woman found shot in the head inside East Harlem apartment CeFaan Kim has the latest from East Harlem. Stringer By Eyewitness News Saturday, November 7, 2026 5:29AM Share EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Two people were found dead with gunshot wounds inside an East Harlem apartment Thursday night in what police believe was a double homicide. Police responded to the Gaylord White Houses on East 104th Street and Second Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Thursday to conduct a wellness check after the son of 55-year-old home health aide Elsa Espina reported that she had not shown up to her next job. When officers arrived at the unlocked apartment, they found Elias Severino, 66, and Espina dead, possibly having been deceased for some time. Severino, who had cancer, was found tied up with a gunshot wound to the head. Doctors later determined that Espina, a Bronx resident, also had been shot in the head. No gun was found inside the apartment, leading investigators to believe the deaths were the result of a double homicide. The heartbroken family of Espina spoke with Eyewitness News. Her daughter said Espina was about to retire in December, and that she didn't deserve this. She said caring about people was her mother's personality. Her family does not understand who would do this or why. "All she ever did was help and be a good person. And she didn't deserve to go like this because god wanted to take her, he could've taken her, but not like this. That's why we're questioning him," said her daughter, Elly Santana. Residents of the housing complex expressed shock over the killings. "To wake up and come down and say Elias is dead, is too much," one resident said. Another resident, Cindy Rosa, said, "I saw him the day before yesterday, he usually comes and sits over and then I come and accompany him... we sit and we laugh, I bother him for a cigarette, I'm still overwhelmed." Neighbor Josephina Rosado reacted to the news by saying, "Oh my God that's a shame, how are they gonna kill a person like that." As police continued their investigation Friday, residents said they were concerned that someone had been able to enter the building with a gun despite the presence of overnight security. A building manager sought to reassure tenants. "We don't have trouble in this building, this is something that we're working on. We're going to pay close attention to the integrity of the rest of our tenants and just provide as much support as we can. Get as much information as we can and just keep the rest of this building safe and just try to work more on that as well," said Shameya Muniz of building management. Police had not announced any arrests or identified a suspect as of Friday. DOE employee charged with murder in stabbing of Brooklyn jogger Katie Suarez 25 minutes ago Woman found dead with multiple stab wounds inside Queens business 18 minutes ago Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrives in Manhattan ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New York City news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics EAST HARLEM MANHATTAN NEW YORK CITY DOUBLE HOMICIDE SHOOTING Watch Live ON NOW DOE employee charged with murder in stabbing of Brooklyn jogger 25 minutes ago Woman murdered inside Queens business 18 minutes ago Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrives in Manhattan Anti-bullying rally held in the Bronx after teen's killing 16 minutes ago NJ township loses $26M in sophisticated wire transfer theft What to know about new White House chief of staff Stephen Miller FL Learjet co-pilot's dad defends daughter's reputation after crash AccuWeather: Brighter and breezy