In the early hours of May 24, 2024, a dispute in the parking lot of a gentlemen's club in Albany, New York, ended in the death of 36-year-old Kwon Lillard. A Black / African American male, Lillard was a lifelong resident of Albany, known as a dedicated father, son, and brother. The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 a.m. outside Ciro's Place on Broadway, where Lillard sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, but Lillard was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified 35-year-old Ulias Kornegay of Latham as the suspect. Security camera footage from the parking lot captured the fatal encounter. The video showed Lillard in a seemingly escalating confrontation with another man. Kornegay, who had been standing nearby, intervened by pushing his way between the two men and shooting Lillard in the chest. As Lillard fell and attempted to crawl for cover behind a vehicle, Kornegay fired several more shots over the hood of the car, striking him in the head and face. In total, Lillard was shot nine times.
Following the shooting, Kornegay fled to Florida. Law enforcement tracked his movements and arrested him on June 6, 2024, after he returned to the Albany area. A search of his residence uncovered two loaded handguns and a small quantity of cocaine. Kornegay was subsequently indicted on charges of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The murder trial for Ulias Kornegay began in March 2025. Prosecutors presented the security footage as key evidence, which graphically depicted the shooting. Kornegay's defense attorney argued that his client acted in self-defense, a claim Kornegay himself maintained. However, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. On May 16, 2025, Ulias Kornegay was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. During the sentencing, the judge noted that while prosecutors had sought a longer sentence, the law constrained the possible term. Lillard's mother delivered an emotional victim impact statement, expressing her profound grief and anger toward her son's killer.
