On a Sunday morning in East Harlem, 38-year-old Charles Buckner was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car. The incident occurred on February 27, 2022, near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 138th Street. Buckner was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second individual, reported to be Buckner's 24-year-old cousin, was also in the vehicle and sustained a gunshot wound to the arm.
He was able to transport himself to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrests of two suspects. In September 2022, authorities apprehended 30-year-old Tynika Johnson at JFK Airport in connection with the murder. While Johnson was charged with second-degree murder, police indicated that she was not believed to be the person who fired the weapon. The motive for the killing was reportedly revenge for a previous shooting that had occurred in the Bronx, in which an associate of Johnson's was wounded.
Nearly nine months after the shooting, a second suspect, 31-year-old Mario Jones, was arrested in October 2022. Jones was identified as the alleged gunman in the incident. He faced multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, assault, and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
