Prosecutors say the gunman opened fire after arguing about payment for food at a family gathering.
QUEENS, N.Y. – A Queens man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his 25-year-old nephew and injuring his niece during a Memorial Day weekend family barbecue in St. Albans.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 41-year-old Durran Morgan was sentenced after a jury convicted him in November of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise handed down the sentence, citing the brutality of the act.
According to trial testimony, on the evening of May 27, 2023, Morgan was attending a family barbecue at a St. Albans residence when an argument broke out over who had paid for the food and who was entitled to eat it. The dispute escalated when Morgan was pushed out of the home by his nephew, Chevaughn Millings, and another relative. Moments later, Morgan returned through the front door armed with a gun.
Prosecutors said Morgan fired 10 rounds into Millings’ abdomen and legs, killing him. His 20-year-old niece, who stood nearby, was struck in the leg and suffered a grazing wound to her forehead.
Shooter fled to Georgia before surrendering
After the shooting, Morgan fled the state and traveled to Georgia. He later returned to New York, where he surrendered to authorities. During the trial, Morgan took the stand and claimed to have served as a U.S. Marine and combat veteran, but prosecutors produced evidence showing that he had no military record.
District Attorney Katz condemned the act as senseless and devastating, saying Morgan’s decision to “settle the dispute with a gun” destroyed his own family. “We hope this sentence helps the family continue to heal and recover from this tragedy,” Katz said.
Jury convicts after hearing of family violence
Jurors found Morgan guilty on all charges after hearing eyewitness accounts and reviewing forensic evidence linking him to the shooting. The weapon used in the crime was never recovered, but testimony and ballistics reports confirmed that multiple shots were fired at close range inside the family home.
Justice Aloise said the sentence reflected the gravity of a killing that took place during a family celebration and left another relative wounded. Morgan will be eligible for parole only after serving the minimum 50-year term.
