QUEENS, NY — Today, Ashik Zaman, a 23-year-old resident of Jamaica, Queens, was sentenced to 36 years in prison for his involvement in two fatal shootings. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing, which addressed a 2020 dispute that resulted in a man’s death and a 2021 shooting outside a South Ozone Park liquor store that killed another man on his 29th birthday.
Zaman had previously pled guilty on June 20 to two counts of first-degree manslaughter and one count of second-degree criminal weapon possession. He was sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant.
The first incident occurred on January 21, 2020, when Zaman fatally shot Kevin Williams during an argument over money outside Williams’ home on 118th Avenue. The confrontation led to Zaman firing multiple shots, hitting Williams in the chest, abdomen, arm, and head. Williams died within the hour.
The second homicide took place on April 28, 2021, during a confrontation near a liquor store on 134th Street in South Ozone Park, where Zaman and others were filming a music video. After an initial argument and separation, Zaman shot Kajawn Howard, who approached him while on his cell phone. Howard succumbed to a chest wound the next day in the hospital.
Zaman’s capture followed an encounter with NYPD officers on May 20, 2021, after he fled from them while riding a defaced Citi Bike. A search of a residence Zaman had stayed at later yielded a .40-caliber Ruger pistol linked to him through DNA testing.
District Attorney Katz highlighted the impact of Zaman’s actions, stating, “Two acts of senseless gun violence by this defendant cost two men their lives and left their families shattered.” She emphasized the ongoing efforts to remove illegal guns from the streets and hold perpetrators accountable.
