QUEENS — Police are looking for a suspect believed to have fatally shot two people, including a mother of two, in retaliation for his brother’s arrest earlier that night, according to the NYPD and sources.
Victor Ocasio, 28, shot three people who were outside of a home at 170th Street near 107th Avenue after his brother, Joseph Ocasio, 21, was busted for punching a 23-year-old woman who was holding her 1-year-old daughter at a party the night of July 4, police and sources said.
Jasmine Quattlebaum, 27, was shot in the head and died at the scene. Herman Mullings, 32, was shot multiple times in the back and died at Jamaica Hospital.
William Watson, 32, was also shot but survived and was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police responded to the assault at about 1 a.m. on July 5 and arrested Joseph, who had come to the party from Cypress Hills, Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn man had seven prior arrests, which were all sealed.
Victor then arrived outside the home at about 3:30 a.m. and opened fire on the group.
Friends described Quattlebaum as a “very hard-working single mother” who held down several jobs.
"Whatever was available, she was doing it to take care of her children," said Christine Trahan after the shooting. "And they are destroyed now."
Victor is about 5-foot-11 and 140 pounds, according to police.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
