Doraymus Robinson

On the evening of June 21, 2022, an argument that began inside a Staten Island deli spilled onto the street and ended in a fatal shooting. Doraymus Robinson, a 22-year-old Black man from Lamport Boulevard, was at the Elegant Deli on Victory Boulevard in the Tompkinsville neighborhood with his girlfriend shortly before 6 p.m.

According to witnesses, Robinson’s girlfriend got into an argument with a man inside the store who was apparently dealing drugs. She reportedly warned him, “If you keep doing it, something bad is going to happen to you.” The man then made a phone call from the store. When Robinson and his girlfriend stepped outside, a car arrived and at least two men got out, starting a confrontation with Robinson. The man from inside the deli then came out, pulled a gun, and shot Robinson in the head. The shooter and the other men fled the scene.

Police and paramedics arrived to find Robinson with a critical gunshot wound. He was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where he fought for his life for five days. Doraymus Robinson succumbed to his injuries on June 26, 2022.

The New York Police Department launched an investigation and recovered a firearm at the scene. The inquiry led to a swift arrest. On June 23, while Robinson was still alive, police took 18-year-old Naquan Brooks, a resident of Brooklyn, into custody.

Brooks was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal use of a firearm. Following Robinson’s death, the case was presented to a grand jury. In July 2022, the charges against Naquan Brooks were formally upgraded to second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. His case is proceeding through the court system.