Peter Panthier Jr., a 26-year-old Dominican man, was killed on the evening of March 26, 2022, in a sudden and brutal act of violence in Far Rockaway, Queens. He had been walking down a driveway near Grassmere Terrace with another man, seemingly a companion, when the individual unexpectedly drew a firearm and shot him at point-blank range in the head and neck. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video, which showed the assailant immediately fleeing the scene after firing the shots.
Emergency services arrived to find Panthier in a pool of blood and transported him to St. John's Episcopal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The killing was described as an 'execution-style' murder by Panthier's father, who expressed his shock and disbelief, stating that his son and the shooter appeared to be walking like friends in the moments leading up to the attack. Peter Panthier Jr. was remembered as a quiet and intelligent individual with no criminal record or gang affiliations. Originally from the Caribbean island of Dominica, he had moved to Brooklyn with his family about a year prior to his death in pursuit of better opportunities. He was studying economics, made music, and had a passion for learning, with his father noting that he had once been a teacher back in his home country. The family was devastated by the loss, recounting that they had eaten dinner with him on the night of his death and grew worried when he did not return home.
For nearly a year, the New York Police Department investigated the case, releasing the disturbing video of the shooting to the public in an effort to identify the suspect. The investigation led to the arrest of 29-year-old Jovan Springer of Brooklyn in January 2023. Springer was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with Panthier's death. Reports indicated that Springer was arrested in a separate, unrelated incident which ultimately linked him to the murder. During his arraignment, he was ordered to be held without bail. The motive for the killing remains unclear.
