In the early morning hours of a summer day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the life of a young father was tragically cut short. Just before 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2019, police responded to a call and discovered the body of 29-year-old Malik T. Russell. He was found with a fatal gunshot wound to his chest, lying near a pile of garbage bags on Chauncey Street.
Emergency responders rushed him to Interfaith Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. At the time of his death, Russell was a father of six, with another child on the way, as his fiancée was five months pregnant. He worked in construction and was reportedly on his way home after spending time with friends when the fatal encounter occurred.
The investigation into Russell's death revealed a senseless act of violence captured on surveillance footage. On the night of the incident, Russell encountered two acquaintances, Darrien Weekes and Oliver Kinard. After a brief and seemingly amicable interaction that included a handshake, Weekes suddenly pulled out a gun and fired three times at Russell, striking him once in the upper chest. The footage showed Weekes then chasing Russell into the street, taking his hat, and leaving him wounded on the sidewalk. This crucial piece of evidence allowed the New York Police Department to identify the individuals involved.
Within days of the shooting, the investigation led to an arrest. On June 10, 2019, police apprehended 21-year-old Darrien Weekes of Bushwick and charged him with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. His accomplice, Oliver Kinard, was also taken into custody. The legal process that followed brought some measure of closure to Russell's grieving family. Weekes eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in April 2024. In August 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision. His co-defendant, Oliver Kinard, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of third-degree hindering prosecution in September 2023 and received a conditional discharge for his role in the events of that tragic morning.
