A Queens barber used his scissors to fatally stab a teen in a battle over a $50 pair of headphones, police sources said.
Cedric Simpson, 34, allegedly plunged his shears into Carl Richardson, 19, at the Select Stylez Barbershop in Laurelton at around 2 p.m. Thursday.
“I’m numb,” the teen’s father, Carl Richardson Sr., said. “I can’t believe it was over headphones.”
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 give him either the money or return the headphones, according to Richardson’s family.
A scuffle broke out, and was quickly broken up by the staff and patrons.
But then the enraged Simpson lunged at the teen, allegedly stabbing him repeatedly in the stomach.
“It should’ve been over, and then he grabbed the shears and stabbed Carl to death,” the victim’s sister, Sherina Richardson, said.
“I just can’t believe it. All he wanted was to get paid what was owed him.”
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.