In the early hours of a summer morning in Brooklyn, the life of Dawuand Darrien, a 29-year-old Black man, was tragically cut short. On August 12, 2023, at approximately 2:45 a.m., Darrien was fatally shot in the chest in the lobby of the Vernon Houses, a NYCHA apartment building on Vernon Avenue near Marcus Garvey Boulevard in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. First responders rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
A father of two and an engaged man, Darrien was visiting from his home in Pennsylvania.
Witnesses at the scene reported a commotion involving a woman outside the building that escalated into a heated argument, culminating in the fatal gunshot that struck Darrien. The individuals responsible for the shooting initially fled, leaving a grieving family searching for answers. His mother, Latesha Darrien, remembered her son as a 'people pleaser' who deeply loved his children and fiancée. His loved ones expressed profound sorrow, stating that their lives would never be the same and that a significant void had been left by his absence.
Months after the tragic event, an arrest was made in the case. On October 30, 2023, the New York Police Department took 26-year-old Thomas Nimmons into custody. Nimmons was subsequently charged with murder and weapon possession in connection with Dawuand Darrien's death. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. The arrest brought a small measure of solace to a family and community still mourning the senseless loss of a young life.
