Jamel Nicholson

Jamel Nicholson, a 25-year-old Black man from Brooklyn, was a father of three and a drill rapper. The mother of one of his children described him as a "good father and a loving man." He was also known by the name "Melly Gzs."

On Halloween evening, October 31, 2022, a festive atmosphere was broken by gunfire in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. At about 5:10 p.m., Jamel was standing with his 19-year-old girlfriend outside the Sheepshead Bay Houses, a public housing complex on Avenue V. A gunman opened fire, chasing at least one of the victims and firing at least 11 shots. Jamel was struck multiple times in the chest and buttocks. His girlfriend was shot in the chest, right knee, and right hip. A witness saw Jamel run for about a block before collapsing between two parked cars on Brown Street. The shooter reportedly fled in a white van.

Officers from the 61st Precinct arrived to find both victims wounded. They were rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where Jamel Nicholson was pronounced dead. His girlfriend survived the attack; she was initially listed in stable condition, though later reports noted she had been in critical condition for weeks. In the immediate aftermath, the New York Police Department investigated, but no arrests were made, and the case went cold.

For over two years, the investigation continued. Then, in February 2025, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced a major breakthrough as part of "Operation Baywatch," a long-term investigation into violent street gangs. A sweeping 129-count indictment was brought against 14 alleged members of the affiliated 59 Brims and Bloodhound Brims gangs, charging them with crimes including murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy.

The investigation revealed that the violence was part of an ongoing war between rival gangs and that Jamel Nicholson was an alleged member of the rival Folk Nation gang. Within the large-scale indictment, two men, Tyshawn Ware and Ron Thomas, were specifically charged with the murder of Jamel Nicholson. According to prosecutors, the gun used in the killing was recovered during the operation. As of a district attorney's announcement in June 2026, the case against the two accused men was proceeding through the court system.