[Reporter Zhang Fan of the Overseas Chinese News] On the first day of the New Year, another shooting occurred at the infamous Umbrella Hotel in Kew Garden, Queens, resulting in one person being shot and two others being injured, the first homicide in the area in 2021.

[Reporter Zhang Fan of the Chinese News] On the first day of the New Year, another shooting occurred at the infamous Umbrella Hotel in Kew Garden, Queens District, resulting in one person being shot and two others being injured, the first murder case in the area in 2021. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the shooting occurred at the Umbrella Hotel at 124-18 Queens Boulevard at around 1:10 a.m. on the 1st. Three men were shot at the time of the incident, two of whom were 20 years old and the other was 40 years old. Two 20-year-old victims were then taken to the Queen's Hospital Center, one was pronounced dead and the other was in a stable condition. The 40-year-old victim was taken to the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and was in critical condition. Police believe that the gunman had only one shooter, and the suspect was still on the run until the deadline.

State Rep. Rosenthal said that due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the luxurious umbrella hotel has been uninvited for months, so it has become a cheap hotel and has briefly served as an emergency home. When nearby residents passed by hotels, they often saw adult men wandering around the hotel, and they also observed that people were drinking or conducting drug dealings in the hotel lobby. In addition, the party sounds from the hotel resounded all night long, and sometimes even lasted until 6 a.m. Rosenthal said two shootings occurred at the hotel on July 3 and August 9 last year, leaving the hotel's glass doors full of bullet holes. This series of events made local residents frightened.

On October 1 last year, Jordan Adderley, who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and forcing her to engage in prostitution in an umbrella hotel and another hotel in Jamaica.

At the end of November last year, the mayor's office approved the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots Operation (MARCH), with participating institutions including the New York City Police Department, Fire Department, EPA Building Department and the Sheriff's Office. The fire department found several fire safety violations in the umbrella hotel, including a defective fire alarm system and fire hydrant. During this operation, the Umbrella Hotel received a total of 13 tickets. The hotel then received two criminal summons from the court.

Rosenthal accused the city of inaction, saying that after the community and local elected officials repeatedly called on the city to close the umbrella hotel, the hotel remained open correctly and led to the shooting recurrence, so the city needs to act quickly to close the hotel.

Umbrella hotel glass door filled with bullet holes. (Provided by Rosenthal)