Police from the 113th Precinct in Jamaica are investigating yet another shooting incident in St. Albans, but this latest case was non-fatal.
The most recent shooting occurred in broad daylight on a quiet residential block during the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 17. A 21-year-old man was walking past a home at 118-17 197th St. just after 3 p.m. when a stranger confronted him, pulled out a handgun and fired multiple times, striking the young man in his back, police said.
The gunman fled the location on foot and was last seen running northbound on 197th Street towards Linden Boulevard. The victim was transported by private means to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect on Thursday night that shows him holding a black handgun in his right hand. He has a medium complexion and wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue sweatpants with white stripes on the legs, white sneakers with a blue Nike Swoosh logo and a white baseball cap on backward.
Anyone with information regarding this assault investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Through Sept. 22, the 113th Precinct has reported 13 shootings so far in 2024, two more than the 11 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 18.2%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
The tight-knit community of St. Albans has been on edge in recent weeks after a 15-year-old boy got into a dispute with a rival gang member and allegedly fired a 9mm handgun multiple times outside the Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen at 117-13 Farmers Blvd. during the afternoon of Sept. 16. At the same time, motorist William Alcindor, 66, of Cambria Heights was driving past and was shot once in the head and twice in the body, causing him to lose control of his Nissan Rogue SUV and slam into a 23-year-old woman on the sidewalk before slamming into a vacant storefront.
EMS rushed Alcindor and the injured pedestrian to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short while later. The teenager was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 18, and was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court that evening, where he was criminally charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon.
“Instead of walking away from a verbal altercation with a rival gang member, this teenage defendant allegedly drew his gun and sprayed bullets across Farmers Boulevard in the middle of the afternoon,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said following the arraignment. “A 66-year-old father of three is now dead, and an innocent pedestrian is seriously injured because of this defendant’s alleged actions.”
Judge Edward Daniels remanded the unidentified minor into custody without bail. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years to life in prison.
“Our thoughts are with the family of William Alcindor and the young woman who is now cooperating from her injuries as we prosecute this completely senseless act of gun violence,” Katz said.
