Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jhavaughn Pinnock was arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder and other crimes in connection with the April 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Jevaughn Jeminson outside the Pure Lounge nightclub in St. Albans. Pinnock was apprehended in Florida and extradited to New York.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant coldly executed a young man on the streets of Queens and then fled the state to avoid accountability. We never give up on seeking justice for victims and will aggressively prosecute this case as we seek justice for the victim and his family. I thank my prosecutors and our partners with the US Marshals Service, the Hollywood Florida Police Department and the NYPD for their work on this case.”

Pinnock, 35, of Elmont, was arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on October 23. If convicted, Pinnock faces 25 years to life in prison.

Codefendant Christopher King was arrested in Georgia on August 16, 2023, and extradited to New York. He pleaded guilty December 1, 2025, to manslaughter in the first degree and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on April 8, 2023, at approximately 1:56 a.m., Pinnock and codefendant King attempted to re-enter Pure Lounge, located at 126-19 Merrick Boulevard, after previously being inside.

King, who was in possession of a firearm, was frisked and permitted to enter the lounge without his firearm being detected. Pinnock was then frisked, and after his firearm was discovered, he was denied entry. Pinnock briefly walked around the corner from the lounge and King exited the club, looking for Pinnock. The two then returned to the entrance and again waited in line. Both defendants were frisked a second time and, with neither firearm detected, were permitted inside the lounge.

After entering the lounge, Pinnock and King returned to the VIP section where they had previously been socializing with their group. Approximately 10 minutes later, the other members of their group began leaving the lounge. Rather than exit with them, Pinnock and King remained inside and positioned themselves at a high-top table near the exit door. Shortly thereafter, the victim, Jevaughn Jeminson of North Lauderdale, Florida, who was a patron at the lounge, received a text message, exited the lounge, and stood outside near the corner of Merrick Boulevard and Selover Avenue. Pinnock and King immediately left the lounge and followed Jeminson outside.

Pinnock allegedly exchanged words with Jeminson and then removed a firearm from his sweatshirt, pointed it toward Jeminson’s face and fired, striking the victim underneath his chin. Jeminson attempted to flee around the corner but was allegedly chased by both defendants who continued to fire their weapons. After Jeminson fell to the ground, Pinnock allegedly stood over him and fired multiple shots at close range.

Pinnock began to walk away and then walked back toward the victim, stood over him and again fired multiple shots into his face and body. Pinnock and King then walked to the corner of 177^th Street and 129^th Avenue, entered King’s dark colored BMW and fled.

The victim was immediately transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. Jeminson sustained four gunshots to the head and face, two to the abdomen, four to the back, and one to the arm.

After an extensive investigation, Pinnock was apprehended on August 20, 2026, in Hollywood, Florida, and was extradited yesterday to Queens.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan Nicolosi, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Chief Assistant District Attorney Shawn Clark.