Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that Earl Morgan, a 54-year-old resident of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, has been sentenced to 28 years to life in prison. This sentence comes following Morgan’s conviction for the murder of Jo’heem Hamilton, a young father, and the assault of another man.
The tragic incident, which unfolded on May 30, 2020, near 24 Monument Walk in the Ingersoll Houses area of Fort Greene, began as a minor verbal dispute. According to trial evidence, after the altercation, Morgan retrieved a loaded firearm, waited in a stairwell for the victims to return, and then shot them in the back at point-blank range as they were walking away. Hamilton, 25, succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind an infant daughter. The second victim, aged 36, survived but suffered serious injuries.
Morgan was arrested on June 16, 2020, and later convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree assault on April 26, 2024, following a jury trial. The sentencing was carried out by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson.
District Attorney Gonzalez commented on the sentencing, expressing his hope that it brings some closure to the friends and family of the victims. He described the shootings as a violent response to a trivial dispute, highlighting the senselessness of the act.