In the early morning hours of December 27, 2021, a dispute between friends over an unpaid debt escalated into a fatal act of violence on the streets of Queens Village. Peter Johnson, a 31-year-old male from South Jamaica, was found with a gunshot wound to his head in front of a residence on 212th Street. The incident unfolded after Johnson had gone to the deli where his friend, Hassan Dees, worked to confront him about money owed.
Following a brief argument, Johnson left for Dees's home to continue the discussion.
Not long after Johnson's departure, Dees was seen leaving the deli with a bag and heading towards his own residence. As Johnson approached Dees's home around 10:45 p.m. on December 26th, Dees followed and shot him. More than two hours later, Johnson was discovered unresponsive in the driveway. Emergency services were called to the scene, and they transported Johnson to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Initially, the investigation was ongoing with no immediate arrests made, and police were seeking information about the shooter. Witnesses reported hearing a verbal dispute followed by the sound of gunshots. In January 2022, the Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended Hassan Dees, then 32, in connection with the shooting. He was subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
In a resolution to the case, Hassan Dees, at the age of 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree in November 2024. In December 2024, a judge sentenced him to 24 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision for the death of his friend, Peter Johnson.
