Artist behind Bed-Stuy fire hydrant fish pond sentenced in shooting case

Editor's Note: This video was originally published on Nov. 1, 2024.

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Hajj-Malik Lovick, an artist known for creating the viral fire hydrant fish pond in Bedford-Stuyvesant last year, was sentenced Friday to several years in prison for attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

The sentence stems from a shooting that occurred in the neighborhood on June 15, 2023.

Lovick was involved in a dispute with a 51-year-old man outside Lover's Rock Restaurant on Tompkins Avenue. The altercation escalated, resulting in Lovick shooting the victim. The injured man was rushed to Kings County Hospital for treatment.

Lovick was sentenced to seven years for attempted murder and five years for illegal possession of a firearm. His attorney, Robert Isdith, announced plans to file paperwork for an appeal next week.

Lovick became known for maintaining a makeshift fish pond in a leaky fire hydrant’s puddle near Hancock Street and Tompkins Avenue. He transformed the hydrant into a home for goldfish in the summer of 2024, according to a post to the aquarium's Instagram page. 

The pond picked up attention on social media before it was paved over by the city in October. Organizers reopened the aquarium shortly after and, as of Dec. 25, planned to make the aquarium permanent. 

“What started as a random idea on a hot day amongst homeboys quickly became a global conversation about art, creativity, connection and environmental sustainability,” organizers said on a GoFundMe created to expand the pond.