In the Rockaways, Queens, on a Friday night in November 2012, the life of 21-year-old Peren Phillippe was tragically cut short. On November 23rd, at approximately 8:15 p.m., Phillippe was discovered lying in front of 43-12 Rockaway Beach Blvd. in the Arverne neighborhood, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and legs. Emergency services arrived at the scene and transported him to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly
led to a suspect. Police arrested 18-year-old Diamonte Alexander of Far Rockaway in connection with the killing. A 9mm handgun was also recovered. Alexander was subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Reports at the time indicated that Phillippe may have been followed by his assailant after exiting an A train at the Beach 44th Street station. The motive for the fatal shooting was not publicly disclosed by authorities.
The legal proceedings that followed were complex and lengthy. In 2016, a jury convicted Diamonte Alexander of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for the death of Peren Phillippe. However, this conviction would not be the final chapter in the case. In January 2019, an appellate court reversed the manslaughter conviction. The reversal was based on the court's determination that the lower court had not properly handled the dismissal of a prospective black juror during the trial. The case was then sent back to Queens Supreme Court for further proceedings.
