Man shot to death in Bronx park boasted he ‘beat the odds' after Rikers release
Irvin Provitt was about to start classes in a court-ordered education program through the Fortune Society, hoping to resolve a pair of ongoing robbery cases after spending more than a year in jail, his lawyer Paul London told the Daily News.
'The only thing he wanted was to get get out of jail because he feared Rikers,' London said. 'He was a kid. He was 21 … He still needed to grow up.'
But all Provitt's future dreams were dashed when he was shot in the head in Crotona Park near E. 173rd St. about 12:45 p.m. May 30.
'He was a young kid who was trying to turn his life around. He was about to be enrolled in a program,' London said. 'To hear that happened was devastating. To lose a young person like that is not a way to lose a young person.'
On April 14, Provitt posted photos of himself with a stack of cash on Instagram with the caption, 'I MADE IT OUT. I BEAT THE ODDS.'
But Provitt was still reeling from the death of his mother a few years back when he was killed, London said. He was proficient with sign language, the lawyer said, interpreting for his father and his brother, who are both deaf.
He was due back in Bronx Criminal Court on June 18 as he continued to fight the two robbery cases he was arrested for at age 19.
On Oct. 27, 2022, he and an accomplice allegedly jumped two victims on a Bronx street, with Provitt punching one in the head while his accomplice took the other victim's cell phone, according to the criminal complaint. A second accomplice was present while a third waited behind the wheel of their getaway silver Honda, according to court papers.
On Feb. 14, 2023, Provitt piled into a cabbie's SUV with four pals and argued with the driver about the fare after trying to pay with counterfeit money, prosecutors say. Provitt then pulled a gun on the driver while his pals stole $750 from the cabbie's pockets, the criminal complaint charges.
'The robbery case is not as crystal (clear) as the D.A. wants to make it,' London said, adding that his client got hit with the charges merely because he was present for the crimes.
Provitt was locked up on $100,000 bail in July 2023 after a bench warrant was ordered in the cases. He was released from Rikers Island on March 7 after posting bond.
A series of photos and videos on Instagram after his release captioned 'Fresh start' show Provitt with U.S. Treasury checks made out to other people and bank ATM receipts showing several thousand dollars in his account.
Provitt was wearing a surgical mask hanging out with a group of about 20 people inside a playground in the park when he was shot, witnesses said. He died at the scene.
Comments left on his Instagram posts after his slaying range from heartfelt condolences to messages and GIFs celebrating his murder, including one saying he 'went poof.'
'I'm sure it does have to do with it,' London said when asked if he thought the negative messages were linked to his unsolved murder. 'The crime in the city has changed dramatically with young kids, where it has become extremely personal with mocking each other.'
Provitt's friends were devastated by his slaying.
'He was living his life. He was happy,' said a 20-year-old friend who declined to give her name. 'He was a good kid. Stayed out the way. He was trying to change his life.'
That sentiment was echoed by two other pals.
'I grew up with him. That's f—ed up,' one of them said. 'He just came home.'
One neighborhood resident, Jennifer Ramos, 34, said the playground where the shooting happened is a trouble spot.
'It's always hot,' she said. 'There's always a lot of gang activity. Especially in the summer time.'
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