In the Claremont section of the Bronx, a dispute between two men escalated into a fatal encounter on October 13, 2017, ending the life of 24-year-old Jaquan Smalls. The incident, which began with a physical altercation, concluded with gunfire that left Smalls with mortal wounds to his head and chest.
Earlier in the day, Smalls and another man, Kevin Pettiway, were involved in an argument that resulted in Smalls physically assaulting Pettiway inside the Butler Houses on Webster Avenue.
Later that evening, around 10 p.m., the conflict tragically resumed outside the same location at 1330 Webster Avenue. This time, Pettiway was armed and shot Smalls. Responders rushed the younger man to St. Barnabas Hospital, but his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead. Smalls lived just a half-mile from where the shooting occurred.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of Kevin Pettiway, a 29-year-old from Staten Island, on November 9, 2017. Pettiway was charged in connection with the death of Jaquan Smalls. On February 22, 2019, Pettiway pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter. Subsequently, on March 22, 2019, a Bronx Supreme Court Justice sentenced him to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision for his role in the fatal shooting.
