On a cold January evening in East Harlem, the life of Dominick Allen, a 17-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short. On January 29, 2023, Allen was shot near East 105th Street and First Avenue. He was taken by private means to a local hospital, but medical staff were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.
Investigators soon discovered that Allen's death was the culmination of a 17-hour crime spree that he and a group of his acquaintances had engaged in
across Manhattan and the Bronx. The string of violent acts began the night before with a gunpoint robbery of a delivery driver. Over the following hours, the group, which included Allen, participated in multiple shootings. In total, the conspiracy involved the use of approximately seven guns, with over 40 shots fired at eight victims.
In a grim turn of events, it was during the final shooting that Allen was killed. He and his associates drove to the NYCHA's Wilson Houses and fired multiple times into a crowded lobby, targeting rivals. During the chaotic gunfire, Allen was fatally struck in the back by a bullet fired by one of his own co-conspirators.
An investigation led to the indictment of several individuals. Among those charged were three of Allen's companions who were with him when he died: 17-year-old Quadir Diggins, 19-year-old Kuran Brown-Wilson, and 17-year-old Nyriel Williams. All three faced murder charges for their roles in Allen's death. Two other men, 22-year-old Randy King and 21-year-old Tyrone Burgess, were also indicted on a host of other charges, including attempted murder and conspiracy.
The case concluded with guilty pleas from the defendants. Quadiar Diggins and Nyriel Williams both pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree conspiracy for Allen's death; they were sentenced to 12 years and 10 years in state prison, respectively. Co-conspirator Tyrone Burgess pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and conspiracy charges and received a 3.5-year prison sentence.
In April 2026, Kuran Brown-Wilson, the final defendant convicted in Allen’s death, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, second-degree conspiracy, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. With his plea, he was expected to be sentenced to 22 years in state prison, closing the case.
