In the early morning hours of a June day in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a night of camaraderie turned into a scene of tragedy for Sean Robinson. The 33-year-old man was sitting in the passenger seat of his Ford Mustang on Morgan Avenue, enjoying the company of a friend after having attended a party. Their conversation was abruptly shattered when an assailant, later identified as Ramel Chapman, approached the vehicle with a 9-millimeter handgun.
Chapman, a resident of Brooklyn, initiated
a robbery, demanding their possessions. Without warning, he fired a single shot, striking Robinson in the chest. Not content with the violence already inflicted, Chapman proceeded to snatch two gold chains from around Robinson's neck. He then turned his attention to Robinson's 38-year-old friend, who was standing on the other side of the car. Chapman pistol-whipped the friend in the face and ripped a gold chain from his neck as well.
Following the brutal assault, the driver of the vehicle rushed his wounded friend to a nearby hospital, but the efforts to save Sean Robinson’s life were in vain; he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The bullet had caused devastating internal injuries, tearing through his rib cage and right lung before penetrating his heart. Robinson, a father and an Army Reserve veteran, left behind his children and a fiancée.
In the weeks that followed the senseless act of violence, the New York Police Department conducted a thorough investigation. Their efforts led to the arrest of 29-year-old Ramel Chapman in July. Chapman was subsequently charged with murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. The legal process culminated in a jury trial where Chapman was found guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree robbery, and three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. In April 2024, Ramel Chapman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Sean Robinson and the violent spree he carried out that night.
