On the evening of March 26, 2023, a trip from Philadelphia to New York City for two friends would end in a fatal encounter in Harlem. That night, 24-year-old Alonza Georgia, a Black male, was inside his apartment building, the Saint Nicholas Houses on West 131st Street, when he was approached by two masked individuals. The time was approximately 9:00 p.m.
The two assailants, later identified as Zaire Allen, then 19, and Hassan Winston, 22, brandished firearms, holding them to Mr.
Georgia's head in the lobby of the building. They forced him outside, where a struggle broke out. During the altercation, Mr. Georgia fell to the ground, and Winston fired his weapon at him. While he lay on the ground, the two men robbed him of his cash that had fallen during the struggle. Before fleeing, Allen fired another shot, striking Mr. Georgia in the torso. The two then escaped in a rented box truck. Emergency services transported Mr. Georgia to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to the gunshot wound to his torso the following day.
An investigation was immediately launched by the New York Police Department. Their efforts, which included reviewing surveillance footage and conducting interviews, led them to identify Allen and Winston as the suspects. On March 30, 2023, detectives executed a search warrant at Winston's apartment, where they found a firearm and clothing that matched what he was seen wearing during the incident. Winston was arrested, and in April 2023, Allen was apprehended in Baltimore, Maryland. A search of the residence where Allen was found also uncovered a firearm and clothing worn on the day of the shooting.
Following their arrests, both Zaire Allen and Hassan Winston were charged with murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. A New York State Supreme Court jury found both men guilty of multiple charges, including Murder in the Second Degree and Robbery in the First Degree, on July 17, 2025. Subsequently, both Allen and Winston were sentenced to 25-years-to-life in state prison for the murder of Alonza Georgia.
