Brooklynite Leaving Party Is Shot to Death in Holdup That Nets $2

By GEORGE JAMES
Published: August 12, 1991

A young man leaving a party in Brooklyn early yesterday was held up by three men, and after turning over the only money he had -- $2 -- he was shot to death, the police said.

The victim, Kevin Jones, 20 years old, of 657 East 2lst Street in the Kensington section, was one of a number of people who have been wounded or killed at or near sites of social gatherings recently.

Eight other people were shot and wounded early yesterday in disputes at a Manhattan nightclub and at two parties in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

"The recent spate of shootings in and around party sites today appears to indicate that it is far more dangerous for a person to be involved in a dispute at a party than it was years ago, before guns were so readily available," said a police spokeswoman, Sgt. Tina Mohrmann yesterday.

Mr. Jones had just left a neighborhood party about 4:35 A.M. when three men approached him and a male friend, also 20, in front of 354 East 25th Street and demanded money, the police said. The young man handed over $2.

"I guess that's all he had," Sergeant Mohrmann said. Two Fatal Shots Fired
The friend, who was not identified because he is a witness, handed over a gold chain. Then one of the men shot Mr. Jones once in the chest and once in the abdomen.

Sgt. Donald Player of the 67th Precinct Detective Squad said it was not clear what had prompted the shooting, though it may have been anger that Mr. Jones had but $2.

The friend ran and escaped unharmed. The suspects fled.

In another incident in Brooklyn, at 2:50 A.M. yesterday, a 14-year-old boy was shot in the left side and an 18-year-old girl, Mary Booker, of 355 Bristol Street, was wounded in the left thigh as they stood in a courtyard at 420 Watkins Street in the Brownsville section, where a party was being held.

It was not clear if the victims were the intended targets, the police said. A dispute broke out between two groups of young men at the party, and one group left the party and then returned a short time later and fired a number of shots into the courtyard.

The two victims were reported in stable condition at Brookdale Hospital.

In a third incident, at 3:15 A.M., two people were shot after two men bumped into each other on the dance floor of a Manhattan night spot. One of the two wounded was a bystander.

The police said Frank Gonzalez, 19, of Manhattan began arguing with another man after they bumped on the dance floor of the Red Zone Disco at 440 West 54th Street. Then a third man pulled a gun and shot Mr. Gonzalez in the left side.

One of the bullets struck Assim Dean, 18, in the right side. He was not involved in the original dispute.

Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Dean were listed in stable condition at St. Vincent's Hospital.