On the morning of August 2, 2022, the body of 14-year-old Shawn Frye was found in a driveway on Beach 67th Street in the Arverne section of Queens. A resident discovered him face down near a parked minivan around 7:22 a.m.; emergency medical services pronounced him dead from a gunshot wound to his lower back. Shawn, a Paterson, New Jersey resident, had been visiting his brother in the Rockaways.

Police say gunfire had erupted about a block away the night before, around 9:30 p.m., when a drive-by shooting wounded an 18-year-old man in the face and hand. Investigators and Shawn’s family believe Shawn was an unintended victim, possibly struck while running from the shooting and hiding near the minivan. His uncle described him as playful and looking forward to starting high school; the family says he had been living with his father following his mother’s recent death.

The NYPD is investigating and no arrests have been announced. If anyone was in the Arverne area that night or has information about the shooting, please come forward to assist the investigation.