In the spring of 2021, a night out with friends in Astoria, Queens, ended in tragedy for 22-year-old Kyle Griffin. On the evening of April 18th, Griffin was sitting in his parked Range Rover on a street in Astoria after leaving a local lounge with friends. Suddenly, their vehicle was blocked by a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Two individuals then entered Griffin's vehicle, brandished firearms, and demanded their belongings.
In an attempt to escape, Griffin tried to drive away but was shot twice in the torso. The assailants fled the scene, leaving Griffin fatally wounded. Emergency services rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead.
For nearly four years, the case remained unsolved, and the suspects were at large, leaving a void in the lives of Griffin's family and friends. Investigators from the 114th Precinct responded to the initial 911 call and began what would be a lengthy investigation. They recovered two spent shell casings from the scene and later found two loaded pistols a few blocks away. Despite these early leads, no immediate arrests were made, and the investigation continued. The community was left seeking justice for the young man whose life was cut short by what appeared to be a targeted robbery.
A significant breakthrough in the case came in February 2025, when an off-duty FDNY EMT, Jordan Hannah, was arrested in connection with the murder. Hannah, who was 26 at the time of his arrest, was indicted by a Queens grand jury on a 22-count indictment that included charges of murder in the first degree, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence. He was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court and remanded without bail. Authorities stated that one of the assailants, an accomplice of Hannah, remains at large. The arrest brought a renewed sense of hope for justice for Kyle Griffin and his loved ones. Hannah now faces the possibility of life in prison without the chance of parole if convicted of the top charge.
