Detectives slapped the cuffs on a Jamaica man Thursday for allegedly shooting two men, killing one of them, as they sat inside a car at a local intersection last week.
Elvin Hernandez, 28, of 143rd Street was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the Sept. 3 shooting that claimed the life of Albert Schaper, 20, of North Bergen, NJ.
Law enforcement sources said the shooting appeared to be gang related, but the relationship between Hernandez and the victims is unclear at this time.
According to authorities, Schaper and a 31-year-old man were inside a car at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway at 9:29 p.m. on Sept. 3 when Hernandez allegedly walked up to the vehicle.
After exchanging words, sources familiar with the investigation said, Hernandez pulled out an gun and opened fire on the two men. Police said Schaper took a bullet to his chest, while the 31-year-old man was shot in each arm.
Officers from the 103rd Precinct and EMS units responded to the incident. Paramedics rushed both victims to Jamaica Hospital; Schaper was pronounced dead on arrival, and the 31-year-old man was listed in stable condition.
Arraignment information for Hernandez was not immediately available.