Privacy update — September 18, 2026: Identifying details have been removed under our victim privacy policy.
June 7, 2026. A Baldwin man has pleaded guilty to murder and weapons charges in the fatal Hempstead house party shooting that killed a 19-year-old Monroe University student athlete and wounded two others.
What Happened
An 18-year-old Baldwin man pleaded guilty on June 4, 2026, before Nassau County Court Judge Helene Gugerty to Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
The plea resolves the criminal case stemming from a November 22, 2025 shooting outside a house party on Willow Avenue in Hempstead. Prosecutors said the defendant arrived at the home at approximately 10:50 p.m. and tried to enter the party. When an individual hosting the event attempted to pat him down before allowing him inside, the defendant refused the search, pulled away, drew a gun and opened fire.
According to Nassau prosecutors, the defendant fired two shots at the person who tried to pat him down. That victim was struck in the arm while diving behind a car to get away from the gunfire. The defendant then fled southbound on Kennedy Avenue and fired one more shot as he ran from the scene.
That final shot passed through another victim’s shoulder and struck a 19-year-old Monroe University student and women’s basketball player who was attending the party with friends. She was hit in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Two other gunshot victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
The defendant is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on August 11, 2026. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said he is expected to be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
Case Timeline
The shooting happened late Saturday, November 22, 2025, outside the Willow Avenue home. Nassau County police later arrested the defendant in Baldwin on December 2, 2025, after investigators reviewed surveillance and transit video connected to his movements before and after the shooting.
Prosecutors said video showed the defendant earlier that evening exiting the Long Island Rail Road at the Baldwin station, boarding a Nassau Inter-County Express bus and getting off near Baldwin Road and Homan Boulevard, roughly a block south of the Willow Avenue party location. Doorbell camera footage from across the street also captured video connected to the investigation, according to the DA’s office.
The defendant was indicted in January 2026 on murder, attempted murder, firearm and weapons-possession charges. At that stage, LongIsland.com reported that he had pleaded not guilty and faced up to 25 years to life if convicted. The June 2026 plea changes the case posture from pending trial to sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by Nassau County homicide and firearms prosecutors. The defendant was represented by defense counsel, according to the DA’s release.
Why This Matters for Long Island
This case belongs in the Long Island crime blotter because it sits at the intersection of youth violence, gun access, house-party safety and neighborhood public safety. It was not a traffic incident, but it unfolded along a residential corridor in Hempstead and triggered a full Nassau County homicide investigation.
For residents, the most important facts are straightforward: prosecutors say the confrontation began over a weapons pat-down at the entrance to a house party; the defendant fired rather than walk away; and a person who was not the apparent target, a 19-year-old Monroe University student athlete, was killed by a stray bullet.
That pattern is why shootings around crowded parties are so dangerous. Even when a gunman aims at one person, bystanders in a driveway, on a sidewalk, near parked cars or along a nearby street can be struck. In this case, prosecutors said two people were wounded and the student was killed within moments.
About the Victim
The victim was a Monroe University student athlete and member of the women’s basketball program. Earlier reporting by News 12 and LongIsland.com described her as a 19-year-old from St. Albans, Queens, who was attending the Hempstead party with friends when the shooting erupted.
Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly called her an innocent young woman whose life was cut short by a violent outburst. Prosecutors emphasized that she was not the person involved in the initial confrontation at the door; she was struck by the final shot as the defendant fled from the party.
What Comes Next
The next court date is the sentencing hearing on August 11, 2026. Unless the court calendar changes, that hearing is expected to determine the final sentence on the guilty plea. Prosecutors have said the expected sentence is 20 years to life.
For now, the conviction is no longer only an allegation: the defendant has admitted guilt to the top murder and weapons charges in the case. The remaining question is the formal sentence that will be imposed by the court.
Sources
- Nassau County District Attorney: Baldwin Man Pleads Guilty to Stray Bullet Shooting that Killed College Athlete
- LongIsland.com: Baldwin Man Pleads Guilty to Stray Bullet Shooting that Killed College Athlete
- LongIsland.com: Long Island Teen Indicted on Murder Charges Following Fatal House Party Shooting
- News 12 Long Island: Teen charged with murder in Hempstead triple shooting that killed student