Investigators say repeated tensions between neighbors preceded the deadly encounter on Ogden Avenue.
HIGHBRIDGE, Bronx — Two Bronx residents have been charged with murder and manslaughter after a woman was fatally stabbed during a confrontation in a Highbridge apartment building Saturday night, police said. Officers responding just after 10 p.m. found 30-year-old Shashamanie Thompson unresponsive on the sixth floor of 1182 Ogden Ave.
Police identified the defendants as 24-year-old Beyonce Johnson and 21-year-old Saleh Ceesay, who live on different floors from Thompson. Investigators say the neighbors had argued before. On Saturday, authorities said, Thompson went upstairs and a dispute erupted in the hallway. Detectives said Ceesay held Thompson from behind while Johnson pulled a knife and stabbed her several times, leaving wounds to her face and abdomen. Thompson was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The killing prompted a swift response from homicide detectives and building residents, many of whom reported hearing the argument and called 911.
The sixth-floor corridor remained sealed for evidence collection on Sunday as technicians documented blood traces in the stairwell and examined video from building cameras. Officers conducted door-to-door interviews. A neighbor said she heard “a lot of yelling” followed by a cry for help. Police say prior friction between the neighbors had been reported informally, but they have not confirmed any recent 311 or 911 complaints between the same parties. The immediate cause of Saturday’s confrontation is still unknown, and investigators have not disclosed whether a knife has been recovered.
Thompson’s death shook the building, a walk-up with narrow halls and shared stairways typical of the Highbridge hillside. Residents described a pattern of noise and hallway disputes that flare and fade across floors. In this case, officers said the argument escalated quickly once Thompson reached the sixth floor. Responding units from the 44th Precinct arrived minutes after the first emergency call, secured the hallway, and guided paramedics as they moved Thompson down the stairs. Family members gathered at the entrance Sunday morning while detectives canvassed for additional witnesses who passed through the stairwell around the time of the stabbing.
Charges against Johnson and Ceesay were announced Monday. Both face counts of murder and manslaughter tied to Thompson’s death. Arraignments in Bronx Criminal Court are expected early this week, where a judge will set bail, order protection if requested, and schedule a preliminary hearing. The medical examiner will issue a formal cause and manner of death, and prosecutors will file criminal complaints that detail the alleged roles described by police. Detectives said they are still taking statements and reviewing any earlier disputes for context.
By Monday evening, a small memorial of flowers and a candle sat near the lobby mailboxes. Tenants stepped past a mop bucket and the faint trace of cleanser as officers finished their shift guarding the sixth-floor door. “I heard her scream for help,” another resident said, recalling the moment the argument peaked. Parents ushered children into elevators while an older man paused at the intercom, shaking his head. The building’s superintendent declined to comment and directed questions to investigators.
Police said the investigation remains active. Johnson and Ceesay are in custody awaiting arraignment, and detectives expect to release additional details on the sequence of events as court documents are filed this week.
Author note: Last updated December 29, 2025.