On a cold January afternoon in 2015, a dispute inside an East Flatbush bodega tragically escalated, ending the life of 42-year-old Kerwin Craigwell. The fatal encounter occurred at approximately 2:40 p.m. on January 27th at the Adrian Deli & Grocery on Nostrand Avenue. An argument that began inside the store between Craigwell and another man, Herman Lancaster, spilled out onto the street with deadly consequences for the unarmed victim.
As the confrontation moved outdoors, Craigwell
slipped on the snow-covered sidewalk, at which point Lancaster began shooting. In a horrifying act of violence in broad daylight, Lancaster fired a barrage of bullets, striking Craigwell. The shooting unfolded on a busy street, where luckily no one else was injured. Kerwin Craigwell, a male resident of East Flatbush, was pronounced dead following the brutal attack.
The New York Police Department apprehended Herman Lancaster, a 31-year-old from Flatbush, within minutes of the shooting during a canvass of the area. An eyewitness identified him as the gunman. Lancaster was subsequently arrested and faced legal proceedings for the murder of Kerwin Craigwell. Following a non-jury trial, he was convicted of one count of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
In January 2017, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun sentenced Herman Lancaster to 23 years to life in prison for the senseless killing. The sentencing brought a measure of accountability for a violent act that cut a man's life short over a dispute. Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez remarked on the brazenness of the crime, noting that it was only by sheer luck that no other individuals were harmed during the daytime shooting.
