Rashaun Nicholson, a 31-year-old male, was fatally shot in the head on the evening of December 28, 2014, in Manhattan, New York. His family reported that he was in the process of delivering Christmas presents to his four children when the tragic incident occurred. Nicholson had been in South Carolina for work and had returned to New York to celebrate the holidays with his family.
The shooting took place at approximately 7 p.m.
on Catherine Street, situated between the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. According to his wife and police, Nicholson had gone to Brooklyn to purchase a gift for her and was returning home when he became involved in an altercation with another individual outside of 78 Catherine Street, a homeless shelter near his family's residence in the Alfred E. Smith Houses. The confrontation escalated, resulting in the other person shooting Nicholson in the head and fleeing the scene. Nicholson was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of Frank Jenkins, a 23-year-old man from Vermont. In February 2017, Jenkins pleaded guilty to the murder of Rashaun Nicholson. The shooting was determined to be connected to a narcotics distribution conspiracy. Jenkins was a participant in a drug trafficking operation that involved transporting crack cocaine and heroin from New York City, including Manhattan and the Bronx, for distribution in and around Bennington, Vermont. Following his guilty plea, Jenkins faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence. His sentencing was scheduled for June 2, 2017.
