In the early morning hours of July 2, 2016, a tragedy unfolded on the streets of Hempstead, New York, forever altering the lives of one family. LaDaniel McCloud, a 23-year-old male, was discovered on a Laurel Street sidewalk at approximately 5:41 a.m., having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel were called to the scene, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead at 5:55 a.m.
The investigation into the violent death of LaDaniel McCloud led
Nassau County police to two individuals from Hempstead. A few days after the shooting, authorities arrested 17-year-old Manuel Howe and 25-year-old Delroy Carter in connection with the crime. Howe was charged with second-degree murder for his alleged role in the fatal shooting. Carter faced a charge of hindering prosecution, suggesting he was accused of interfering with the police investigation into McCloud's death. Both men were scheduled for arraignment at the First District Court in Hempstead.
The initial court appearance for the two suspects was marked by tension and raw emotion. Inside the courtroom, the family of LaDaniel McCloud confronted Manuel Howe, labeling him a murderer. Following the arraignment, a physical altercation erupted outside the courthouse between the victim's and the defendant's families, requiring court officers and police to intervene. The turmoil of that day underscored the profound grief and anger left in the wake of LaDaniel McCloud's untimely death, which sources suggested may have stemmed from a dispute over drugs. Four months later, in a grim echo of the violence, LaDaniel's older brother was also shot and wounded in the same neighborhood.
