In the early hours of April 14, 2014, the life of 42-year-old Armal Mallory was cut short by gunfire in a tragic incident that unfolded at the Walt Whitman Houses in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Mallory was standing outside 79 North Oxford Walk when he was shot multiple times in the chest, leg, and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Mallory's death led police to 20-year-old Shaquille Upson, who also resided in the Walt Whitman Houses. According to witnesses, the two men were involved in an argument before the shooting. It was reported that Upson shot Mallory in the back as he tried to run away and then shot him again as he lay on the ground. An eyewitness who knew Upson identified him as the shooter. This testimony was supported by video surveillance footage that showed Upson entering a nearby building shortly after the shooting, wearing clothing that matched the eyewitness's description.
In June 2014, Shaquille Upson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Further evidence presented at his trial included an incriminating Facebook post and a phone call Upson made from Rikers Island. In April 2016, a jury found Upson guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was subsequently sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.
