William E. Hooks III was 24 when he was fatally shot in Albany, New York, on the night of Saturday, June 20, 2020. The shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. near the intersection of North Lake Avenue and First Street in the West Hill neighborhood; another person was wounded in the same incident. Hooks was one of several people shot in the city during a violent surge that month.

An indictment unsealed in December 2020 charged two Albany men, Jaiquan Allah, then 24, and Olajuwon K. Johnson, then 29, with second-degree murder and felony assault in connection with Hooks’ death. Allah also faced a weapons possession charge; Johnson faced additional counts including hindering prosecution and criminal facilitation. Both pleaded not guilty and family members attended court; Hooks’ loved ones remembered him as generous and kind-hearted.

If anyone in the West Hill area saw or heard anything the night of June 20, 2020, or has information about this shooting, please come forward to the appropriate authorities.