In the summer afternoon of July 14, 2025, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace in a courtyard of the Drew Hamilton Houses in Harlem. When the chaos subsided, 32-year-old Hamid Thomas was found with gunshot wounds to his torso and left arm. Emergency services rushed him to a nearby Harlem hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
A 40-year-old woman was also caught in the crossfire, sustaining a graze wound to her back, though she was expected to recover.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a prior altercation that had occurred earlier the same day between Thomas and two other men. Authorities identified these men as 34-year-old Barshon Jamison and 33-year-old James Lattimore, both of whom had known Thomas for several years. Following the initial dispute, the two men allegedly planned the subsequent attack. It is believed that Jamison, after changing clothes and putting on a ski mask, waited for Thomas in the courtyard. As Thomas rode his scooter through the area, Jamison allegedly ran towards him and opened fire.
In the weeks and months that followed, law enforcement tracked down the suspects. Barshon Jamison was arrested in Rochester, NY, on August 27, 2025. His alleged accomplice, James Lattimore, was taken into custody on October 2, 2025. The Manhattan District Attorney's office announced indictments against both men. They face charges of Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and Assault. The motive for the deadly confrontation has not been fully detailed, but the brazen nature of the daytime shooting in a public housing courtyard sent shockwaves through the community. Thomas's family, left to mourn a man they described as a kind and loyal friend, now awaits the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
