In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in August 2019, the life of 18-year-old Angel Nixon was cut short on a street in his Springfield Gardens, Queens neighborhood. Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 12:30 a.m. and discovered Nixon with multiple gunshot wounds to his head, torso, and leg. Emergency services rushed him to Jamaica Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The events leading up to the shooting reportedly began with an argument between
Nixon and another individual. This altercation escalated tragically, ending with the other person opening fire on Nixon before fleeing the scene on foot. In the immediate aftermath, the shooter was described as a Black male wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. The investigation into the violent encounter was swift.
Within a day of the shooting, police arrested 18-year-old Jermaine Orr of Cambria Heights in connection with the killing. Orr was subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. It is alleged that the fatal argument was between Orr and Nixon, though the specific motive for the dispute has not been publicly detailed, nor has it been clarified if the two knew each other prior to the incident. Months before his death, Nixon himself had a brush with the law, having been arrested for his alleged involvement in an attempted car break-in.
