On the evening of May 14, 2022, Lionell Pittman, a 32-year-old male, was fatally shot in a parking lot at the Forrestal Heights housing complex on West Center Street in Beacon, New York. The incident, which occurred around 6:50 p.m., was described by police as a coordinated, drive-by attack involving multiple individuals.
The investigation into Pittman's death stretched on for nearly two years, leading to the apprehension of four suspects.
The first arrest came in June 2024, when Naije Perrette, 24, of Beacon, was taken into custody following a traffic stop. Prosecutors have accused Perrette of organizing the killing, identifying Pittman to the gunman, and making payments to the shooter and the driver.
In the months that followed, two more suspects were apprehended. Khyree Pratt, 23, of Philadelphia, was arrested in September 2024 while he was already incarcerated in a federal correctional institution. Then, in November 2024, Zyree Downing, 24, of Middletown, Delaware, was arrested. Downing was also already incarcerated, in Pennsylvania, at the time he was charged with Pittman's murder.
A significant development in the case came in March 2025 with the arrest of a fourth suspect, 32-year-old Jarrell Brown of Beacon. Law enforcement has alleged that Brown was the mastermind who ordered and orchestrated the murder of Lionell Pittman. He faces charges of first-degree murder second-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy. The continued investigation, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, was credited with uncovering Brown's alleged role in the crime.
As the case has moved through the legal system, there have been convictions. In September 2025, a Dutchess County jury convicted Khyree Pratt of first and second-degree murder, as well as second-degree conspiracy and criminal possession of a weapon. Zyree Downing pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy charges in March 2025. The cases against Naije Perrette and Jarrell Brown are proceeding through the courts.
