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NYC Radio DJ Shot At Least 13 Times
NEW YORK -- A disc jockey on a popular hip-hop radio station was shot at least 13 times outside an apartment building Thursday, police said.
Carl Blaze, whose real name is Carlos Rivera, was in critical condition at a Harlem hospital, police said.Blaze, who works for Power 105.1 FM, had been wearing a white metal diamond chain with the initials "CB" when he was shot at about 4:30 a.m.
The chain was missing when police arrived, investigators said.Police were searching for suspects in the shooting.
Blaze, 30, broadcasts live from Club T in Manhattan on Fridays from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. and midnight to 2 a.m.
According to Power 105's Web site, Blaze has more than 2 million listeners.
The station, which plays hip-hop and R&B, is owned by radio giant Clear Channel Communications.Clear Channel spokeswoman Josefa Paganuzzi had no comment.
RADIO DJ SHOT
By LARRY CELONA and HASANI GITTENS
December 8, 2006 -- A late-night DJ for hip-hop station Power 105.1 was gravely wounded in a hail of bullets yesterday in what may have been a robbery, police sources said.DJ Carl Blaze, whose real name is Carlos Rivera, was shot at least13 times while in the first-floor hallway of 578 Academy St. in Manhattan's Inwood section at about 4:30 a.m., cops said.
"He just said, 'I'm hurt, I'm hurt, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die,' " said building resident Elizabeth Figueroa. "So I pulled up his shirt to check the wounds because he was bleeding a lot - profusely."
The father of two young sons was clinging to life last night at Harlem Hospital, surrounded by dozens of friends and family.
When Rivera, 30, was found, he was missing a large gold and diamond chain with the letters "CB" on it, which was worth $20,000.
Police sources said robbery may have been the motive for the shooting, but they had no suspects.
Cops were also looking into Rivera's personal life to see if there may have been any simmering romantic or financial hostilities - considering how many times he was shot - said sources close to the investigation.
Rivera had just come from spinning records at the X-Bar in The Bronx, but it was unclear what the Elmwood Park, N.J., resident was doing in upper Manhattan.
"Everybody's pulling for him," his longtime friend and booking agent Rich Dominguez told The Post. "He's really a nice guy, that's why everybody's pretty surprised to find out that he's even in a situation like this."
He said it wasn't surprising Rivera was on Academy Street because he grew up in nearby Washington Heights.
Dominguez said despite the fact that Rivera hung out in some tough clubs and moved in hip-hop circles, "he's no gangster."
"Carl Blaze is definitely one of those type of guys that would definitely reach out and help people out. Definitely a caring type of dude, real down the earth," said Dominguez.
" He's never felt the need to have extra security or put those type of barriers between him and his fans."
Power 105.1 announced the shooting over the air, and "listeners have been calling in with their love and support and prayers," said station spokeswoman Josefa Paganuzzi.
She said station officials would release a statement when they knew more and had spoken to Rivera's family.
