On the evening of September 3, 2016, a male named Albert Schaper, who was 20 years old, was fatally shot in a tragic incident of street violence in Jamaica, Queens. He and two friends were sitting in a parked car near the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway around 9:30 p.m. when they were approached by a man. The stranger questioned the group, asking if they were members of the 'Kings' street gang before he opened fire on the vehicle.
The gunman fired multiple
rounds into the car, striking Schaper in the chest. A 31-year-old man who was with Schaper was shot in both arms, and a third man, aged 21, sustained multiple lacerations from the shattered glass. All three victims were transported to Jamaica Hospital, where Albert Schaper was pronounced dead. The other two men were treated for their injuries and were listed in stable condition.
Three days after the shooting, authorities arrested Elvin Hernandez, a 28-year-old resident of Jamaica, in connection with the crime. Prosecutors reported that Hernandez was allegedly affiliated with a rival street gang. He was subsequently charged with murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.
In October 2019, a jury found Elvin Hernandez guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Following the conviction, the Queens Supreme Court Justice set a sentencing date, where Hernandez faced the possibility of 75 years to life in prison for his role in the senseless shooting that ended Albert Schaper's life and injured two others.
