In the early morning hours of July 9, 2020, Nayquan Garden, a 29-year-old man, stepped out for a late-night snack on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This simple act would tragically be his last. Near the corner of West 105th Street and Columbus Avenue, he was shot in the chest. Police found him on the grounds of the Frederick Douglass Houses, a block from where the shooting occurred. He was rushed to Mount Sinai St.
Luke's Hospital, but his life could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead.
At the time of his death, Garden was eagerly awaiting the birth of his child and had been planning a gender reveal party. His family described him as excited about the prospect of fatherhood and dedicated to turning his life around. Despite a past that included a five-year prison sentence for various offenses, those close to him said he was actively working toward a better future. The sudden and violent end to his life left his family, including his mother and sister, devastated and searching for answers.
The investigation into Nayquan Garden's murder remains open. While police have explored potential motives, including a suggestion from his father that the shooting may have stemmed from a gambling dispute, no definitive reason for the killing has been established. The gunman was seen fleeing the scene on foot, but no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The lack of suspects has left a community calling for justice and an end to the gun violence that claimed the life of a young man on the verge of a new chapter in his life. The New York City Police Department continues to ask for anyone with information to come forward as they seek to bring closure to Garden's grieving family.
