In the early morning hours of August 2, 2022, the body of 14-year-old Shawn Frye, a male, was discovered in a driveway on Beach 67th Street in the Arverne section of Queens, New York. A resident found him lying face down near a parked minivan around 7:22 a.m. and immediately alerted the authorities. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene and pronounced the teenager dead, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his lower back.
Shawn, who was from Paterson, New Jersey, had been in the Rockaways visiting his brother.
The evening before Shawn's body was found, gunfire had erupted just a block away from where he was discovered. Police believe a drive-by shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m., during which an 18-year-old male was shot in the face and hand. That victim survived his injuries and has been cooperating with the police, although he claimed not to know why he was targeted. It is believed that Shawn was an unintended victim of this earlier shooting. According to his uncle, Shawn had gone to a store for his brother and was caught in the crossfire when the gunmen opened fire on the 18-year-old. It appears that in an attempt to escape the gunfire, Shawn ran and may have tried to hide under the minivan where his body was later found.
Shawn's family was left devastated by his sudden and violent death. His uncle described him as a playful and well-rounded boy who was eagerly looking forward to starting high school in the fall. Following the recent passing of his mother, Shawn had been living with his father and leaning on his extended family for support. The family has pleaded with the public for anyone with information to come forward to help bring those responsible to justice.
As of now, the investigation into Shawn Frye's murder is ongoing, and no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The New York Police Department is actively investigating the case and seeking to identify the suspect or suspects involved in the incident that cut short the young teenager's life.
