Man Killed In Queens In New York City's First Homicide Of 2021

KEW GARDENS, QUEENS — In what is believed to be the first New York City homicide of 2021, three people were shot and one killed in a shooting outside the Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens, said New York City police.

The shooting occurred at 1:11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, when a 911 call was made for a person shot in front of the hotel, which Patch has reported to be a hotspot of violence in recent months.

When police got there, they found the first victim, a 20-year-old man, shot multiple times; a second victim, a man, 40 , shot in the torso, arms and legs and a third victim, a man, 20, shot in the left leg, according to the NYPD.

The first victim was taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Queens, where he was pronounced dead. The second man was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition and the third was transported to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where he is in stable condition.

No arrests have been made yet. The identity of the deceased is pending proper family notification. The New York Post is reporting this is likely the city's first homicide of the new year.

For months, the Umbrella Hotel has been the subject of complaints by neighbors and elected officials who want the city to shut it down.

The Umbrella first gained notoriety this summer, after it was the site of two shootings and several assaults in a little more than a month's time. One shooting, on Aug. 9, left bullet holes in the hotel's glass revolving front door. In October, a man was arrested on charges of sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl at the hotel.

NYPD officers were stationed there almost around-the-clock in an effort to deter crime, but incidents continued. In November, the New York City Fire Department cited the hotel for several fire safety issues, including defective fire alarm systems and pumps.

Ongoing Patch reporting on the Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens, Queens: Crackdown At Umbrella Hotel Leads To A Dozen-Plus Violations (Nov. 25, 2020)