On the evening of June 4, 2025, a joyous graduation celebration in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan turned into a scene of tragedy with the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Raqiese Cohen. The male victim was attending a barbecue for the teenagers of the Robert Fulton Houses, where he resided, when he was struck by a bullet. The gathering, bustling with over 200 people, was abruptly shattered by the violence that unfolded in front of 431 W.
17th St.
Police responded to a 911 call about an assault in progress at approximately 9:20 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Cohen unresponsive on a bench, having sustained a gunshot wound to his neck. Emergency medical services rushed him to NYC Health and Hospitals/Bellevue, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
In the wake of the shooting, the New York Police Department has been actively searching for the person responsible for Cohen's death. Investigators have been looking for three men dressed in black who were seen in connection with the incident. More specifically, the police have released a description of a suspect as a thinly-built male with a dark complexion, who was last seen wearing a blue sweatsuit. This individual was reportedly seen fleeing the scene on foot, heading eastbound on W. 18th Street toward 8th Avenue.
As of early July 2025, no arrests had been made in the case, and the investigation remains ongoing. The NYPD has released surveillance photos and a short video of the suspect in the hopes that the public can assist in his identification and whereabouts. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to help bring closure to the family of Raqiese Cohen and the community shaken by this senseless act of violence.
