A Virginia man visiting his cousin in New York City was shot dead in broad daylight while sitting in a parked car on the Upper West Side.
Ronald Thomas, 27, of Glen Allen, Virginia, was seen getting into an ‘intense’ argument with a woman when a gunman pulled up in a car and shot him dead in the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 he was seated in, New York Daily News reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
When his family was notified of the attack, Thomas’ brother went into cardiac arrest. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Thomas’ slaying is the latest in a string of violent crimes across the Big Apple, with major crimes surging by more than 40 percent in the past month, compared to the same period in 2021.
One nearby resident, Maria Beltran, told the Daily News, that this latest killing has people fearing for their lives.
‘I don’t even come outside here anymore,’ she said. ‘I just want to get the hell out of here. I’m going to the store right now and then I’m gonna go straight home.’
New Mayor Eric Adams, a former cop, has vowed to get crime in New York City under control and decrease bloodshed, one of the key points of his mayoral campaign.
Over the weekend he met with NYPD commanding officers to brainstorm and discuss crime crackdown strategies.
Ronald Thomas, 27, of Glen Allen, Virginia, was fatally shot in broad daylight while sitting in a parked car in New York City’s Manhattan Valley neighborhood on Sunday
The victim was was struck in the head following an ‘intense’ argument with a woman. He was pronounced dead at the scene
Thomas was fatally shot near the Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing development in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood, on W. 102 St. near Amsterdam Avenue around 12.15pm Sunday.
Witnesses allege he and a woman were arguing when a gunman pulled up to the cul-de-sac outside the housing complex.
‘I saw an argument,’ neighborhood resident Manny El Grande told the newspaper. ‘I just said maybe that’s like a relationship, things going on… it wasn’t my problem so I kept walking.’
The shooter pulled out his weapon and opened fire, striking the Virginia father in the head. He then fled the scene, leaving Thomas to die in the Mercedes he had been seated in.
A resident who heard the gunfire recalled seeing Thomas’ sneakers dangling out of the driver’s side door.
Others saw a woman sobbing at the scene while police investigated. It is unclear if she was the individual Thomas had been arguing with.
Thomas was fatally shot near the Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing development near W. 102nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue
Witnesses allege Thomas and a woman were arguing when a gunman pulled up to the cul-de-sac outside the housing complex. The shooter pulled out his weapon and opened fire, striking the Virginia father in the head
The gunman then fled the scene, leaving Thomas to die in the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 he had been seated in
Thomas, originally from the Bronx, had been visiting family in the city
Thomas, originally from the Bronx, had been visiting family in the city. His cousin said he was shocked by the incident.
‘It’s a tragedy,’ Dwayne Martin explained. ‘This is nuts because it’s unexpected. I don’t know who he came to see, what happened. He’s not that type of guy.’
Martin and his neighbors shared how Thomas’ killing goes to show how crime in running rampant across the city.
‘You don’t really know what’s going on out here or what people are into,’ Martin said of the neighborhood. ‘I don’t know what’s going on over here, I don’t know if it’s gangs or what.’
Carmen Quinones, president of the Frederick Douglass Houses, said the community is ‘devastated’ by the loss of life.
‘Everybody here is devastated,’ Quinones shared. ‘We don’t know him, but still we’re devastated because this is someone’s child.’
Thomas’ death remains under investigation and his killer still remains at large.
Police are pictured near Thomas’ body after the shooting
A resident who heard the gunfire recalled seeing Thomas’ sneakers dangling out of the driver’s side door
Others saw a woman sobbing at the scene while police investigated. It is unclear if she was the individual Thomas had been arguing with
New York City has seen a more than 40 percent rise in major crimes in the past month, compared to the same period in 2021.
In January 2022, Mayor Adams unveiled a comprehensive plan to combat surge in crime. That included increased foot patrols as well as the revival of a plain clothes unit named Neighborhood Safety Teams.
On Saturday, he met with 77 NYPD precinct commanders and other top officials to discuss ways to combat the surge of violence across the city.
The mayor reportedly emphasized the need for authorities to become more actively involved with the community, alleging commanders should know schools principals, homeless shelter officials and other leaders in the neighborhoods they serve.
‘I need everybody to buy in,’ Adams told the officers at Saturday’s summit, The New York Post reported.
Thomas’ slaying comes as New York City has seen a more than 40 percent rise in major crimes in the past month
He also requested the input of all attending commanders in what many are regarding as a ‘very productive’ conversation.
‘The mayor and command staff of the NYPD had a productive meeting today with precinct commanding officers,’ Chris Monahan, president of the Captains Endowment Association, said after the meeting.
‘But, not discussing the real issue of the crime increase, is counterproductive. We must discuss the over-zealous [Civilian Complaint Review Board] and their lack of experience, prosecutors who refuse to charge or prosecute crimes and the state legislature which is okay with keeping violent criminals on the streets.’
‘We’re here for them, the community – and the community is here as you can see,’ 7th Precinct Commanding Officer Luis Barcia told WABC. ‘They’re also doing their part and working with us to stop the violence.’
‘This is how serious this is to everyone, including the mayor,’ echoed NYPD Deputy Inspector Ralph Clement.