In the winter of 2015, a violent dispute in a Queens apartment building lobby tragically cut short the life of 20-year-old Sean Van Williams. The deadly encounter unfolded on the night of January 25th inside a building on 127th Avenue in Rochdale Village. A dispute between two groups escalated to gunfire, and Sean Van Williams was shot in the head. Another man, 24-year-old Rendell Cassimy, was also fatally shot during the altercation.
Emergency services arrived to a chaotic scene. Cassimy was pronounced dead at the location. Sean Van Williams was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he fought for his life for five days before succumbing to his injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the New York Police Department identified a suspect in the double homicide: Sean's own brother, 23-year-old Shane Van Williams. Authorities believe that during the dispute, Shane Van Williams produced a firearm and opened fire, striking both his brother and Cassimy. Following the shooting, Shane Van Williams and others involved in the conflict fled the scene before police arrived. The NYPD subsequently released a picture of Shane Van Williams, describing him as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds, and asked for the public's assistance in locating him.
