New York City's First Homicide of 2026: Police Identify Suspect in Fatal Uber Shooting
In a devastating start to the new year, New York City witnessed its first reported homicide of 2026, with the tragic shooting of 55-year-old Issa Mbolo-Isac, an Uber driver. On January 1st, just hours into a long New Year's Eve shift, Mbolo-Isac was gunned down near Morris Avenue and the Cross Bronx Expressway in Mount Hope.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with two men approaching Mbolo-Isac's vehicle and attempting to force him out. When he tried to drive away, the men opened fire, striking him in the head. Despite receiving medical attention at the scene, Mbolo-Isac succumbed to his injuries.
According to Fernando Mateo, chair of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, Mbolo-Isac was a "great human being" and devout Muslim who "only gave of himself." The federation has launched a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspects' arrests, the largest reward they have ever offered.
Friends and family describe Mbolo-Isac as one of the kindest people they've ever known. Mansour Massamba, a friend of over 20 years, said Mbolo-Isac never seemed afraid to work overnight shifts and maintained an excellent rating on the Uber app. News of his death shocked his family in Burkina Faso, where he has a wife and three children.
Taxi drivers are particularly vulnerable in New York City, with Mateo warning that they are "the No. 1-targeted" from those seeking to provoke them. Mbolo-Isac's tragic death marks the first homicide of the year, following a year of record-low shootings and a significant decrease in homicides across the city.
Police have identified Ehinel Troncoso as their prime suspect, but no arrests have been made yet. The NYPD is urging anyone with information to come forward and call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online.
In a devastating start to the new year, New York City witnessed its first reported homicide of 2026, with the tragic shooting of 55-year-old Issa Mbolo-Isac, an Uber driver. On January 1st, just hours into a long New Year's Eve shift, Mbolo-Isac was gunned down near Morris Avenue and the Cross Bronx Expressway in Mount Hope.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with two men approaching Mbolo-Isac's vehicle and attempting to force him out. When he tried to drive away, the men opened fire, striking him in the head. Despite receiving medical attention at the scene, Mbolo-Isac succumbed to his injuries.
According to Fernando Mateo, chair of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, Mbolo-Isac was a "great human being" and devout Muslim who "only gave of himself." The federation has launched a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspects' arrests, the largest reward they have ever offered.
Friends and family describe Mbolo-Isac as one of the kindest people they've ever known. Mansour Massamba, a friend of over 20 years, said Mbolo-Isac never seemed afraid to work overnight shifts and maintained an excellent rating on the Uber app. News of his death shocked his family in Burkina Faso, where he has a wife and three children.
Taxi drivers are particularly vulnerable in New York City, with Mateo warning that they are "the No. 1-targeted" from those seeking to provoke them. Mbolo-Isac's tragic death marks the first homicide of the year, following a year of record-low shootings and a significant decrease in homicides across the city.
Police have identified Ehinel Troncoso as their prime suspect, but no arrests have been made yet. The NYPD is urging anyone with information to come forward and call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online.
55 yrs old mans life cut short cuz of a senseless shooting in nyc its just crazy how taxi drivers r targeted especially with that $10k reward for info leading to the arrest 
me & my fam always talk bout safety first but stuff like dis makes u wonder if ur gonna b home safe tonight 
i hope ehinel troncoso gets caught ASAP & justice is served 
! I don't think Uber should be allowed to have drivers work overnight shifts though, it's just not safe 
. And did they know that the guy was a Muslim? Like, no big deal but it's still weird that he's getting all this attention for being killed in a shooting 
. What's with the reward of $10k tho? That's like, so much money 
. I hope they catch the bad guys and get justice for Mbolo-Isac ASAP 
. But can someone tell me what Cross Bronx Expressway is again? 
I thought it was just a highway or something 
, where a cat plays the piano like it's supposed to be in a real orchestra 
. I mean, who knew cats had such hidden talents?! Anyway, back to NYC... I feel bad for Mbolo-Isac and his family, but have you guys ever noticed how good Uber drivers always know all the shortcuts? Like, they're always taking these random routes that don't exist on a map 
the $10k reward from the taxi federation is a good start but we need to see real action taken here 
Ehinel Troncoso better be caught ASAP because that dude doesn't belong on our streets 
meanwhile, my heart goes out to Mbolo-Isac's family and friends back in burkina faso they're already dealing with this tragedy and now we gotta add the fact that he was just trying to make a living 
, it's like they're waiting for the right person to slip up or something 
... meanwhile Mbolo-Isac's family in Burkina Faso is still trying to process their loss & mourn the loss of this incredible human being 
. The NYPD needs to do more than just identify a suspect - we need to see real action taken to keep our city's streets safe 
. And what about the mental health support these drivers need? They're already under so much stress on the job, and now they've got to deal with this trauma too 
. It's time for us as a society to take a hard look at how we're treating our workers and make some real changes 
.
it's like they're trying to scare people off the roads or something. Taxi drivers are already at a disadvantage with Uber driving all over the place 
. And the fact that Mbolo-Isac was just minding his own business, driving for Uber, and got gunned down... it's just not right 
. And what about the guy who did this? Ehinel Troncoso, he doesn't even seem like a very nice person... 
still gotta hope he gets caught and faces justice eventually