In a quiet Queens neighborhood, the evening of March 29, 2024, was shattered by violence that claimed the life of 61-year-old Natalie Coggins. Police responded to a 911 call at her home on 121st Avenue in the South Jamaica area around 9:24 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Ms. Coggins, a Black/African American female, unresponsive with a fatal gunshot wound to her head.
Emergency medical services pronounced her dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly focused on a suspect close to home: her 36-year-old son, Dashawn Coggins. He was taken into custody at the residence he shared with his mother and was subsequently arrested in the early morning hours of March 30. Authorities charged him with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. While a motive for the shooting has not been officially released, the events leading up to the tragedy suggest a troubled history.
In the days before his mother's death, Dashawn Coggins' father had reportedly grown concerned about his son's increasingly erratic behavior and delusional thoughts. Dashawn had a criminal record, including a conviction for weapon possession in 2017 for which he served nearly three years in prison before being released on parole in March 2020. Neighbors described Natalie Coggins as a friendly person who had lived in the neighborhood for about six months to a year. They noted that her son had also been a frequent presence at the house.
Natalie Coggins was remembered as an active and kind member of her community. She was involved with the Queens County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, where she served as the chair of the Community Service and Thanksgiving Basket Committee. Her sudden and violent death left her family, friends, and community in mourning.
