A 17-year-old reputed gang member out on parole for a prior gun possession conviction ended an ongoing dispute with a younger rival last month by shooting him “execution style” along a Queens street and then rode off with his victim’s push scooter, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Malakai Adams, 14, died after he was shot along Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways on Sept. 28 after a gunman approached him that afternoon in the courtyard behind the Ocean Bay Apartments, officials said.
The 17-year-old shooting suspect was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder and weapons possession. His name is not being released because of his age.
“As alleged, this was a targeted, execution-style killing where the victim was shot through his heart,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. “This defendant shot and killed another teenager in the middle of the afternoon, leaving a family and community heartbroken. Our thoughts are with Malakai Adams’ loved ones and community as we now seek justice for him.”
During the teen’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday, Assistant DA Kevin Timpone said the gunman “approached the victim, who was riding on his scooter at the Ocean Bay housing development.
“The defendant produced a firearm and fired at him, shooting him in the back,” Timpone said. “This caused the bullet to travel into his back and up to his heart, causing him to die.”
Malakai Adams (pictured) was on his scooter on Beach Channel Drive near Beach 51st St. in Far Rockaway, Queens, when a robber fatally shot him in the back as the teen tried to fight him off on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (GoFundMe)
Timpone noted that this was not the defendant’s first time in court because of a crime connected to a gun.
In 2025, the teen, who was 15 at the time, was caught with a loaded .22-caliber pistol after cops stopped him for shooting fireworks at passersby, officials said.
Timpone said the alleged gunman was caught on camera before and after the shooting, and could be seen riding away on the victim’s scooter.
Prosecutors said the gunman went into a public bathroom and changed the shirt and pants he was wearing during the shooting. The clothing was later located in the bathroom trash bin, officials said.
Police investigate after the 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in the courtyard of the Ocean Bay Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens, on September 21, 2026. (Kerry Burke / New York Daily News)
The suspect was held without bail after the arraignment.
A source said the suspect is not in the NYPD’s gang database, but is a Crips associate. Sources said the shooting was connected to a Bloods-Crips social media beef.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.