In the early morning hours of June 19, 2022, a violent shootout in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulted in the death of 38-year-old Raymond Francis. The male victim was an active participant in an incident that quickly escalated, leading to his own unintended demise.
At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Cross Bay Boulevard near Pitkin Avenue, Francis, armed with a handgun, and his accomplice, Richard Dixon, who was carrying an assault-style rifle, approached two other men,
Kenardo Kelly and Dwayne Whyte, as they sat in their vehicles. Security camera footage captured Dixon, with his lower face masked, and Francis approaching Kelly's vehicle from different angles. Dixon then opened fire on Kelly, striking both him and his car.
In response to the initial attack, Dwayne Whyte, from his own vehicle, drew a weapon and fired at Dixon. As Dixon pivoted to return fire at Whyte, at least one of his shots struck his own accomplice, Raymond Francis. Francis collapsed in the parking lot with his pistol still in his possession. Emergency responders arrived to find Francis and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Kenardo Kelly was treated for gunshot wounds to his face and upper back, resulting in a broken jaw, while Dwayne Whyte sustained a gunshot wound to his leg.
Richard Dixon, a 32-year-old resident of Jamaica, Queens, also suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the exchange. He later sought treatment at a hospital in Nassau County, which led to his identification as a suspect in the Ozone Park shooting. Following an investigation, Dixon was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned on an eight-count indictment. The charges included murder in the second degree for the death of his accomplice, Raymond Francis, as well as attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, and criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, Dixon faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
