In the early morning hours of May 30, 2015, a violent altercation outside the Hollywood Lodge No. 92 in North Amityville cut short the life of 44-year-old Louis Wilson. A native of North Amityville, Wilson was visiting from his home in Kansas City, Missouri, to spend time with his family. The dispute, which reportedly involved five men, escalated quickly, resulting in gunfire that would leave one man dead and three others injured.
First Precinct police officers were dispatched to the scene at 66 Coolidge Avenue at approximately 2 a.m. following multiple 911 calls and a Shot Spotter notification for shots fired.
Upon their arrival, authorities discovered a chaotic scene. Four men had sustained injuries during the fight; three with gunshot wounds and one with other injuries from the physical altercation. All four were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Louis Wilson, who had been shot in the chest, was pronounced dead at the hospital. His two brothers, Shaun Wilson, 37, and Junious Wilson, 38, both of North Amityville, were treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to their legs. The fourth injured man was also identified as a brother of the Wilsons.
The investigation into the deadly shooting quickly led Suffolk County Police to a suspect, 38-year-old Jakyma Bunn of North Amityville, who was arrested the following day after being released from a hospital for injuries he sustained in the fight. Bunn was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. It was reported that there had been a long-standing feud, possibly spanning decades, between Bunn and the Wilson family. According to court documents, Bunn told police, 'I had to shoot them. They were going to me up.' His attorney stated that Bunn had been assaulted by the Wilson brothers just before the shooting and had previously been shot by one of them.
Following his arrest, a grand jury indicted Jakyma Bunn on the charges, and he pleaded not guilty. His case went to trial, where his defense argued that he had acted in self-defense. The defense claimed that Bunn had wrestled the gun away from one of the Wilson brothers during the attack and, in the ensuing struggle, shot Louis Wilson and his two brothers. In May 2017, a jury acquitted Bunn of murder and all other charges related to the 2015 shooting.
