Witnesses said mourners were leaving as a gunman opened fire and fled the area.
JAMAICA, N.Y. — Mourners leaving a funeral service at a Queens church on Friday were met by a burst of gunfire that killed a 49-year-old man, police said, sending guests running and leaving investigators to search for a suspect who fled on a Citi Bike.
Police identified the victim as Richard Carter of Valley Stream and said he was shot multiple times shortly after 2 p.m. near Merrick Boulevard and Sayres Avenue. The killing drew attention not only because it happened in daylight, but because it struck at the edge of a funeral service, with a hearse, family vehicles and mourners still gathered outside. By late Friday night, detectives had not announced an arrest and had not publicly explained what relationship, if any, linked Carter, the funeral and the gunman.
The violence broke out just as the service ended and people began filtering from the church to the sidewalk and waiting cars. Witnesses said there were roughly 25 people outside when the shots rang out. Carter collapsed near the hearse as people ducked for cover and tried to make sense of what had happened. Eric Fairchild, a limousine driver hired to transport relatives of the person being buried, said he had stepped away from his vehicle when he heard a rapid series of shots. “When I looked, I saw a guy laying on the ground,” Fairchild said, recalling that he then rushed behind the limo and toward the church because he did not know where the gunfire was coming from. Carter was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he died.
Investigators said the shooter was seen leaving northbound on 170th Street. Police described him as wearing a DKNY jacket, a colorful sweatshirt and orange sneakers. That public description offered the clearest official lead by Friday evening, though it still left major holes in the timeline. Police did not say whether the suspect waited for Carter outside the service, followed him there or encountered him by chance. They also did not say whether the Citi Bike was rented through the city system under a traceable account, whether video from nearby businesses or traffic cameras had captured the escape, or whether a weapon had been recovered. Those gaps mattered because they could reveal whether the shooting was tightly planned or happened after a sudden confrontation.
The emotional weight of the setting shaped witness reaction as much as the shooting itself. The church, The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, is one of the best-known religious institutions in the area, and the service underway there had already gathered family, friends and funeral staff for a burial procession. Instead of heading directly to the cemetery or family gathering, many people remained on a block sealed by investigators. Witnesses said some at the scene recognized Carter as a friend of the deceased person whose funeral had just ended. A relative interviewed by local television described the moment as overwhelming, saying the family was already trying to handle one loss when a second death unfolded in front of them.
The procedural path now centers on homicide detectives, witness interviews and any digital record tied to the suspect’s route. Police had not filed charges as of late Friday, and there was no public court case to outline because no one had been arrested. The next clear milestones are likely to be the release of surveillance images, a more complete suspect description or a formal announcement if detectives connect the escape route, clothing description and witness statements to a named person. Investigators also are expected to sort out whether Carter was the intended target. That remains one of the most important unresolved questions because it could explain why the shooter struck at the exact moment mourners began spilling onto the sidewalk.
By the end of the day, the scene stood as a layered image of grief, with funeral vehicles parked near police tape and evidence cones. Witnesses were left replaying the sound of the shots and the seconds that followed. Fairchild said his fear was not only for the victim but for everyone nearby who could have been hit by a stray round. The randomness of that danger sharpened the shock for people who had arrived expecting a solemn, familiar ritual and instead found themselves watching detectives work around a body in the street. The block’s final memory on Friday was not the end of a funeral, but the beginning of a homicide investigation.
Late Friday, the suspect was still at large and police had not released a motive. The next update is likely to come when investigators announce whether surveillance footage or witness evidence has narrowed the search.
Author note: Last updated April 10, 2026.