In the late hours of a September night in 2015, the promising life of 23-year-old Michael Nolan, a male professional baseball prospect, was irrevocably altered in the parking lot of a Yonkers, New York Burger King. On September 18th, Nolan was standing outside his car just after 12:30 a.m. when a white Toyota Camry approached. From within the vehicle, six shots were fired, one striking Nolan in the head.
The shooting was not a random act of violence; investigators later determined it was retaliation stemming from a dispute and a fight that had occurred a couple of nights earlier, reportedly connected to a drag race. It remains unclear if Nolan was the intended target of the retaliatory violence.
Following the shooting, Nolan was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. He remained in a medically induced coma for weeks as doctors worked to save him. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead on October 9, 2015. His family chose to donate his organs. The death of the 6-foot-7 left-handed pitcher, who had been drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 18th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, sent shockwaves through the community.
An extensive investigation by the Yonkers Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney's office led to the arrest of four individuals in March 2016. The suspected shooter was identified as 17-year-old Nashaun Hunter from the Bronx. He was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The other three men in the car were 22-year-old Garth O'Neil Cole of Mount Vernon, and 23-year-old Tejmitra Singh and 18-year-old Darren Dawson, both from the Bronx. They were initially charged with first-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
The legal proceedings that followed saw each of the four men plead guilty to various charges. Nashaun Hunter pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Tejmitra Singh and Darren Dawson both pleaded guilty to first-degree assault. Singh was sentenced to 11 years in prison, while Dawson received a nine-year sentence. Garth O'Neil Cole, the driver of the vehicle, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to five years in prison. In the years following their sentencing, both Cole and Singh were granted early release from prison for good behavior, a decision that was met with anger and disappointment from Michael Nolan's family.
