On a tragic Easter morning in 2014, the community of New Paltz, New York, was shaken by a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 29-year-old Ryan Gray of Poughkeepsie. The male victim was inside Murphy's Restaurant & Pub shortly before 2 a.m. when the incident occurred. Another individual, a 26-year-old woman who was on a date with Gray, was also shot but survived and was reported to be in stable condition.
According to police, the shooting was not a random act of violence. Investigators believe the perpetrator and the victims were known to each other and that the motive was a spillover from incidents in the City of Poughkeepsie. Authorities suggested the killing was in retaliation for the murder of Alvin Hayles in Poughkeepsie in November 2013. Eyewitness accounts indicated that there was no apparent altercation or fight before the shooting.
Following the incident, the shooter fled the scene, prompting a thorough investigation by the New Paltz Police Department with assistance from multiple other law enforcement agencies. A few days later, on the evening of April 22, police arrested 21-year-old Basheem D. Bennett of Poughkeepsie in connection with the shooting. Bennett was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault, both felonies. He was subsequently remanded to Ulster County Jail. Ryan Gray's mother, Lisa Gray, was present at a press conference announcing the arrest but was unaware of any connection between her son and the suspect.
