Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that a reputed gang member has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury for attempted murder, assault and other charges for allegedly shooting and injuring a Queens Village resident moments after he stepped out of the Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens on July 3, 2020.

District Attorney Katz said, “This senseless act of violence demonstrates yet again the consequences of the volatile combination of gangs and guns. A young man has been apprehended for this shooting and will be held accountable for his alleged actions.”

Unrelated to these charges, police along with members of the DA’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, are investigating a second shooting that occurred at the hotel on August 9th. Reports of other alleged crimes at the hotel are being investigated as well.

“These incidents will be investigated and prosecuted with every tool available to law enforcement,” DA Katz said.

The defendant, 15, of Jamaica, Queens, was arraigned last week before Queens Supreme Court Justice Lenora Gerald on a 6-count indictment charging him with attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. The defendant, whose name is being withheld due to his age, is set to return to Court on September 25, 2020. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

According to the charges, just before midnight on July 3rd a 17-year-old walked through the lobby of the Umbrella Hotel on Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, Queens. He passed through a crowd that included the defendant. The 17-year-old exited the building with the defendant following him out. Video surveillance of the scene shows the defendant allegedly pulling out a handgun and firing it several times. The 17 year old victim was hit in the right leg, shattering his femur. The victim fell to the ground and rolled under a car in an attempt to hide from the shooter.

Continuing, according to the DA, the victim was taken to a nearby hospital and was rushed into surgery. The alleged shooter was identified from the video surveillance and subsequently arrested the following day.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Samantha Anderson and Detective Corey Smith of the New York City Police Department’s 102nd Precinct Detective Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Michael Perullo and Lieutenant Gregory LeRoy.

Assistant District Attorney Diana Schioppi, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Sennett, Bureau Chief, Michelle Goldstein, Deputy Bureau Chief, Barry Frankenstein, Section Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gerard Brave.