On Thursday, February 15, Ryan Hamilton, aged 24, hailing from Hempstead, openly confessed to the murder of Trendabi Reid in May 2021, as announced by Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
Hamilton, at the age of 24, pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The District Attorney’s Office has indicated that he is anticipated to receive a sentence of 19 years to life imprisonment.
District Attorney Donnelly remarked, “This defendant brutally shot Trendabi Reid during a confrontation at a backyard gathering in Hempstead. The scourge of gun violence persists in our communities, but NCDA remains steadfast in its commitment to removing dangerous criminals from our streets and ensuring they face the consequences of their actions.”
According to the charges, on the evening of Friday, May 7, 2021, at 21 James LL Burrell Avenue in Hempstead, Hamilton was socializing with others while cleaning a firearm in the backyard. When Reid arrived at the residence, a dispute arose between him and another individual over a debt. The altercation escalated, resulting in physical confrontations of pushing and shoving.
Despite not being initially involved in the dispute, Hamilton approached the victim and discharged a single round from a .9mm firearm, striking Reid in the face and causing his death. Subsequently, Hamilton fled the yard, as stated by the District Attorney.
Later that evening, the firearm used in the incident was recovered in a vacant lot approximately two blocks away from the scene. Hamilton was apprehended by detectives from the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad in June 2021.