Queens, NY – A Bronx man who opened fire outside the former Umbrella Hotel in Kew Gardens on New Year’s Day 2021, killing one man and wounding two others, was sentenced Friday to 75 years to life in prison, Queens prosecutors said.
Richard Swygert, 24, was convicted in March of murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons charges after prosecutors said he sprayed a group of young men with bullets following a confrontation outside the hotel near Queens Boulevard and 82nd Avenue.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the shooting marked the borough’s first homicide of 2021 and left lasting damage for the surviving victims.
“Richard Swygert opened fired in front of the former Umbrella Hotel on New Year’s Day in 2021 committing the first homicide of that year,” Katz said. “The bullets he unleashed killed one young man, critically injured another and left a third seriously wounded.”
Gunfire Erupted After Fight Outside Hotel
According to trial testimony and court records, Swygert arrived at the Umbrella Hotel shortly after 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2021, with a group of companions. Prosecutors said the group entered the hotel and waited near an elevator before crossing paths with three victims who had just exited.
Both groups later moved outside, where an argument broke out between one of the victims and one of Swygert’s associates. The dispute escalated into a physical fight before Swygert allegedly pulled out a handgun and opened fire.
Prosecutors said Swygert fired multiple rounds at the victims, striking 20-year-old Robert Deandre Williams five times. Williams later died at a local hospital from multiple gunshot wounds.
Two other victims, both also 20 years old, survived but suffered serious injuries.
One victim was shot repeatedly in the stomach, arms and legs and required emergency surgery along with additional operations to save his leg from amputation. The third victim was shot once in the thigh.
Investigators recovered 13 spent shell casings outside the hotel following the shooting.
Key Points
• Richard Swygert was sentenced to 75 years to life for a 2021 fatal shooting in Kew Gardens
• Prosecutors said the Bronx man killed one victim and injured two others outside the Umbrella Hotel
• A Queens jury convicted Swygert in March on murder, attempted murder and weapons charges
Queens Jury Convicted Swygert After Three-Week Trial
Swygert was found guilty following a three-week jury trial on charges that included second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant imposed the sentence Friday.
The prosecution was led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos of the Queens District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Veronika Podoprigora.
The Umbrella Hotel, once located near Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, closed permanently not long after the shooting. The location had previously faced controversy and scrutiny from residents during its operation.
DA Says Sentence Reflects Consequences of Gun Violence
Katz said the lengthy prison sentence sends a message about the consequences tied to gun violence in New York City.
“We cannot normalize gun violence,” the district attorney said while announcing the sentencing.
The case stretched more than five years from the deadly shooting to final sentencing, with prosecutors relying on witness testimony and physical evidence recovered from the scene to secure the conviction.
Swygert will now serve a sentence of 75 years to life in state prison for the fatal attack that killed Williams and permanently altered the lives of two surviving victims.