On a summer evening in Nyack, New York, a senseless act of gun violence tragically cut short the life of 21-year-old Darien Brydie. On August 23, 2020, Brydie, a male visitor from Illinois, was fatally shot while sitting in a car in the parking lot of the Nyack Plaza apartment complex on Hudson Avenue. The incident unfolded at approximately 8:24 p.m., shattering the tranquility of the evening and leaving a community in shock.
The Orangetown Police Department responded to a report of a
gunshot victim at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Despite the efforts of his friends who rushed him to the hospital, Brydie succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. The investigation quickly identified a suspect, 18-year-old Collyer Goodman of Valley Cottage, who was in the car with Brydie at the time of the shooting.
Goodman was arrested and initially charged with second-degree manslaughter, first-degree reckless endangerment, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The investigation revealed that Goodman was seated in the rear passenger seat when he discharged a loaded 9mm handgun. The bullet traveled through the front passenger seat, striking Brydie. Goodman turned himself in to the authorities the day after the shooting.
In the course of the legal proceedings, Goodman pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. On February 14, 2022, he was sentenced for his role in the death of Darien Brydie. He received a sentence of one to three years of incarceration for the manslaughter charge, which was to run concurrently with a five-year sentence for criminal possession of a weapon. The Rockland County District Attorney's Office had advocated for the maximum allowable sentence for both charges. The tragic event served as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence.
