A grieving Queens dad can’t understand why his son — or the young man’s accused killer — didn’t walk away from a deadly fight over $50 headphones.
Queens barber Cedric Simpson, 34, allegedly plunged his shears into Carl Richardson, 19, at the Select Stylez Barbershop in Laurelton around 2 p.m. Thursday.
Richardson had sold Simpson a pair of $50 headphones but then the barber refused to pay the young man, family members said.
The heartbroken dad, also named Carl Richardson, said both his son and the barber had ample opportunities to de-escalate the fight.
“It’s just so senseless that people lose their lives over such meaningless things. He [the barber] could’ve just walked away,” the elder Carl Richardson told The Post.
“The man refused to pay him the money. He [the younger Carl Richardson] could’ve said, ‘Dad, the man refused to pay me the money.’ I’d say, ‘Listen, just chalk it up the experience, and walk away.’ I’d say, `I’ll give you the money, whatever, just walk away.’ ”
The grieving dad added: “Now I’m faced with burying my son. It’s not something I ever thought about doing.”
The younger Carl Richardson, who was a regular customer at Select Stylez, went to the barbershop on Wednesday, sold Simpson a Bluetooth headphone set and said he’d come back to collect the money.
When the young man returned on Thursday, Simpson refused to either give him the money or return the headphones, according to Richardson’s family.
A scuffle broke out, and Richardson was stabbed twice in the chest and once in the neck, family members said.
“It should’ve been over, and then he grabbed the shears and stabbed Carl to death,” said the victim’s sister, Sherina Richardson.
“I just can’t believe it. All he wanted was to get paid what was owed him.”
The victim was selling headphones to raise money for a car.
The dad, an MTA conductor, was matching every dollar his son earned. They had planned to attend an April 1 car auction to buy him new wheels.
The elder Carl Richardson said he can’t believe he lost his son over headphones.
“Not something so petty and trivial. This was what it was all about,” the dad said, holding a pair of headphones.
“My son lost his life over these Chinese[-made] headphones. This was my heart, the full brunt of this hasn’t hit me yet.”
Richardson was rushed to Franklin General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“He was a lovely boy,” said the victim’s mother, Johann Richardson. “I’m not just saying that because he was my son.”
The barber claimed that Richardson darted into the shop and threatened him, a source said.
Simpson was charged with murder.
“I’m numb,” the elder Carl Richardson said. “I can’t believe it was over headphones.”
Additional reporting by C.J. Sullivan, Jamie Schram and Larry Celona