Antiq Hennis, 1, was shot and killed in Brownsville on Sept. 1.
Credit: Danielle Tcholakian/Metro
The father of a 1-year-old boy who was shot and killedin his stroller earlier this month refuses to cooperate with police, but he is willing to talk to the press if it means earning some extra cash.
A man claiming to be Anthony Hennis, Antiq Hennis’ father, contacted both The New York Post and The New York Daily News this week, trying to sell them interviews.
“It doesn’t have to be like you’re paying me to talk,” the man told the Post. “You could be donating to help my family.”
The caller claimed that he was fielding offers from different media outlets, including one from the News for $15,000.
Meanwhile, the News reports that the man called one of their reporters trying to make the same pitch.
“I’ve got to keep my family safe. I got to get them out of this neighborhood,” he told the reporter.
He also told the News that he felt he was being wrongly portrayed in media.
“I want the world to know what kind of person I really am,” he said.
The Post verified that the call came from a number associated with Hennis’ grandmother. Several friends also confirmed that Hennis was trying to solicit money from news outlets, the Post reports.
Neither the Post nor the News complied with the request.
Police believe Hennis, 21, was the intended target on Sept. 1 when a gunman opened fire on his family on a Brownsville street, sending a bullet through Antiq’s stroller and killing him.
Hennis, a gang member with an extensive arrest history, has refused to help police identify the killer.
Two suspects, 23-year-old Daquan Breland and 19-year-old Daquan Wright, have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
