Jabeon Bivins

Jabeon Bivins, a 24-year-old Black male from Freeport, Long Island, was a former standout basketball player remembered by his coaches as a gifted and hardworking point guard for Baldwin High School. He was mentored by a former Hempstead mayor who recalled him as a "complete ballplayer" and "a joy" to be around. An uncle described him as a quiet and talented kid who, despite some recent trouble, was trying to work things out. The night before he died, he called his uncle’s children just to tell them he loved them.

On the evening of Monday, August 15, 2022, Bivins was with a group of friends, including another man and three young women, in a courtyard at the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens. At about 6:20 p.m., two men walked into the public walkway, pulled out handguns, and began shooting at the group. As bystanders scrambled for safety, Bivins and his friends ran. The gunmen fired a total of 21 shots. As Bivins fled across Redfern Avenue, a bullet struck him in the back of the head. He collapsed in the street and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services.

The New York Police Department’s investigation relied heavily on surveillance footage from the housing complex. The video, which was released to the public, captured two gunmen—one in a gray hooded sweatshirt and the other in a red one—opening fire before disappearing into a nearby building. Homicide detectives from the 101st Precinct used the footage to help identify the shooters.

Seven months later, on March 15, 2023, police made several arrests. Michael Williams, a resident of the Redfern Houses, and Kevon Johnson of South Jamaica were both charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. A third man, 22-year-old Amhad Peavy of Hempstead, was also arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the homicide investigation.

In June 2026, a jury found both Michael Williams and Kevon Johnson guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. In a statement, the Queens District Attorney said, "These two men opened fire on a summer evening with no regard for anyone around them and left a young man to die in the street." In August 2026, Queens Supreme Court Justice Mary Bejarano sentenced Williams to 22 years to life in prison and Johnson to 20 years to life in prison.