#NYPD identifies victim in NYC’s first homicide of 2021

The fatal shooting victim in what’s believed to be New York City’s first homicide of 2021 was identified by police Friday – as authorities released surveillance images of four men wanted in connection to the incident.  

Robert Williams, 20, was gunned down outside of the notorious Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens, Queens, about an hour and 10 minutes after midnight, cops said.

Emergency responders rushed Williams to Queens Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead.

During the shooting, which police said erupted amid a fight between two groups of men, a 20-year-old man was shot and wounded in the left leg, while a 40-year-old man was critically injured.

Those two men were both hospitalized.

A heartbroken family friend who answered the door at Williams’ home in Jamaica, Queens, Friday called the victim “such a good kid” who had been working at a HomeGoods store as he took a semester off from college.

“I don’t know what happened. Robert was such a good kid,” said the tearful friend, who only identified herself as Jennifer.

Jennifer said Williams’ parents were shattered by the news.

“He is either in school or he is at home or one or two friends would come once in a while and that’s it,” the family friend said, adding, “I’m devastated.”

The NYPD has not yet made any arrests in the shooting, but has released photos of four men being sought by authorities in connection to the case.