Tears flowed freely through Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church on Friday as the Harlem community gathered to honor the life of Excenia “Momma Zee” Mette, 61, a woman whose kindness, warmth, and generosity had left an indelible mark on the neighborhood.
Mette, a trailblazing business owner and grandmother, was fatally shot in the head by a stray bullet nearly two weeks earlier while checking on her grandson during a gunfight in front of her apartment building.
Friends, family, neighbors, and community leaders packed the church to celebrate a life that had become woven into the fabric of Harlem.
Mayor Eric Adams and the Rev. Al Sharpton were among the dignitaries who attended the service, condemning the senseless gun violence that had stolen Mette from her loved ones and the neighborhood she had nurtured for decades.
“She left her fingerprints on countless lives,” Sharpton told the mourners, his voice heavy with emotion.
“She probably fed the guy that shot her, probably gave him clothes… She helped him numerous times. To die by the hands of somebody you help — it’s heartbreaking.”
Mourners embraced one another as photos of Mette’s life flashed across the screens, highlighting her achievements, her laughter, and the joy she brought to everyone around her.
Dressed in a purple outfit from head to toe, Mette’s body lay in a metal casket wreathed in flowers. A white horse-drawn carriage carried her through the streets of Harlem, passing the neighborhood she had called home for decades and where she had become a fixture of the community.
Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Mette had opened Momma Zee’s Food to Plez Deli in the 1980s, becoming the first Black woman to own a bodega in New York City.
Her deli became more than a business; it was a hub for connection, care, and support for the people around her.
Comedian Solo Jones, who had been managed by Mette, recalled her generosity and unwavering kindness.
“Everyone knows him,” Jones said, referring to the shooter.
“She probably helped him countless times… To die this way is unimaginable.”
The violent events that ended her life began on the evening of April 22, 2025, when two men, Ricky Shelby, 23, and Darious Smith, 23, allegedly exchanged gunfire over a dispute in front of Mette’s apartment building at Lenox Avenue and 113th Street.
Mette had gone outside to check on her grandson and was tragically caught in the crossfire. Shelby, police allege, fired the bullet that struck Mette in the head, ending the life of a woman whose presence had been a source of comfort and strength to so many.
This shooting followed a history of violent behavior, as authorities noted Smith had been accused of stabbing two people nearly a year earlier.
Smith had been out on $10,000 bail at the time of the incident, highlighting ongoing concerns about recidivism and the risks posed by individuals with prior violent offenses.
Mayor Adams spoke at the service, noting the systemic failures that allowed such tragedies to occur.
“This is a sum of the accumulation of what we’ve been speaking about for years — the system of recidivism,” he said, emphasizing the need for accountability and reform.
Sharpton echoed these sentiments, urging the community to condemn violence and hold perpetrators accountable.
“If you need a gun to be a man, you’re a punk,” he said, urging young people to seek alternatives to violence and honor the lives lost in such senseless acts.
Mette’s family traveled from across the country to attend her service, joining a congregation whose hearts had been touched by her generosity, mentorship, and commitment to community.
Her sisters, brother, and numerous friends remembered her not only as a grandmother and business owner but as a mother figure, a guide, and a source of hope for countless individuals who had walked through her doors seeking food, comfort, or simply a listening ear.
The funeral service was not only a tribute to her life but a rallying cry against gun violence and the senseless loss of life that continues to plague communities nationwide.
Her life, her legacy, and the love she gave freely to Harlem will not be forgotten.
While the investigation and legal proceedings continue, the community vows to carry her memory forward, to fight for justice, and to ensure that the senselessness of her death serves as a reminder of the human cost of violence.
Momma Zee may be gone, but the spirit she embodied — of generosity, love, and community — remains.
Harlem, her home, holds her forever in its heart.