In the early hours of November 28, 2015, the life of 23-year-old Tyquan Pass was tragically cut short on a street in the New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. Pass, a Black/African American male, was fatally shot in the head around 12:10 a.m. near the intersection of Jersey Street and Pauw Street following a dispute. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene, where a firearm was reportedly found on his person.
Known to his friends as 'Twin' because he had a
twin brother, Pass was remembered as a friendly and energetic person whose smile could light up a room. Having lost his mother at a young age, he was raised by an older sister. Despite a history of arrests, friends said he had recently expressed a desire to join the military. His sudden death left those who knew him struggling to comprehend the senseless act of violence.
The investigation into the shooting led police to 24-year-old Derrick Felder. Prosecutors stated that the incident began as an attempted armed robbery by Felder. Felder, who had previous arrests and was on probation for a 2013 robbery conviction at the time of the shooting, was subsequently arrested and charged with murder, assault, and weapons offenses.
Ultimately, Derrick Felder pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. In November 2016, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison for his role in the death of Tyquan Pass.
