A 45-year-old New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority train operator and landlord was involved in the fatal shooting of his 64-year-old tenant, reportedly his cousin.
The confrontation occurred on Friday, November 17, 2023, at around 9:40 p.m., when LaShawn Craig found Timothy Jones, allegedly wearing a mask and gloves, inside his Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment in Brooklyn, New York City. Jones had a history of threatening Craig’s family,
Craig, an Army veteran with multiple deployments, told Jones to leave, but instead, Jones reached into his pockets, prompting Craig to discharge his unlicensed .40 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun, fatally striking Jones in the torso. It was later discovered that the weapon Jones possessed was a Taser.
Jones was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where he died from injuries sustained during the shooting.
Jones, a career criminal, had over 20 previous arrests for narcotics and domestic violence.
After the incident, Craig contacted 911 and surrendered his illegal firearm to the police. While homicide charges were not filed against Craig, he faced several charges related to weapon possession and carrying an unlicensed handgun. He was arrested on Sunday and arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Monday.
Craig was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, one being a felony and the other a misdemeanor, and a criminal possession of a firearm charge.
It’s noteworthy that Craig has no prior criminal history. A judge, acknowledging Craig’s background and the nature of the incident, released him on supervised release without bail, despite the prosecution’s request for $50,000 bail.
The shooting is under investigation as a case of self-defense and is considered a “justified homicide.” It was reported that Craig and Jones were engaged in a heated argument over family photographs before the altercation turned violent.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA ) spokesperson Michael Cortez said Craig has been suspended from employment following the incident, pending an investigation.
