On the night of August 30, 2019, a walk along Rockaway Boulevard in the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens turned fatal for 29-year-old Tyrell Rice. An African American male, Rice was strolling near 135th Street at approximately 10:30 p.m. when he was approached by another man. The individual, later identified as 38-year-old Tevin Jackson, allegedly fired a single shot that struck Rice in the chest before quickly leaving the scene.
Emergency medical services arrived to find Rice
critically wounded. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, but the severity of the gunshot wound was too great, and he was pronounced dead. Investigators began piecing together the events of that night, and it soon became apparent to them that this was not a random act of violence. The acting Queens District Attorney would later describe the shooting as a 'directed hit.' It was noted that Rice was also known by the nickname 'Shots Fired.'
The investigation into Rice's murder led law enforcement to a suspect, Tevin Jackson. A little over a week after the shooting, on September 10, 2019, members of the Regional Fugitive Task Force located and apprehended Jackson in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Following his arrest, Jackson was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. At the time of the incident, Jackson was reportedly on parole for a prior robbery conviction. He was remanded into custody to await trial, facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence of 25 years to life if convicted of the charges brought against him.
