In the spring of 2016, a walk down a Queens street turned deadly for 28-year-old Harris Edward. On the evening of May 6th, Edward was walking with an acquaintance, Teimel Morris, in the vicinity of Union Hall Street in Jamaica. The two men were observed on surveillance footage engaged in a heated argument outside a deli before they continued on their way together, disappearing from the camera's view.
Shortly after, the sound of gunfire echoed through the neighborhood.
Witnesses reported seeing an individual fleeing the scene wearing a black sweatshirt with distinctive white sleeves and carrying a gun. Harris Edward was discovered on the street, having been shot twice in the head. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition. For six days, he fought for his life, but ultimately succumbed to his severe injuries on May 12, 2016.
The investigation into the shooting led detectives to Teimel Morris, who was identified as the man seen with Edward just before the shooting and whose clothing matched the description provided by witnesses. More than two months after the fatal encounter, in July 2016, the 22-year-old Brooklyn resident was arrested and charged with murder and criminal possession of a firearm. Authorities described Morris as an acquaintance of the victim, though a clear motive for the senseless act of violence was not publicly disclosed.
In February 2019, after a two-week jury trial in Queens Supreme Court, Teimel Morris, then 25, was convicted of second-degree murder. The evidence presented, including the surveillance footage and witness testimony, was enough to convince the jury of his guilt in the tragic and senseless death of Harris Edward. Following his conviction, Morris faced a sentence of 25 years to life in prison for ending the life of his acquaintance on that spring evening.
