Police in New York City are digging into a shocking shooting that left 21-year-old Dashanna Donovan dead in her Queens apartment. Investigators suspect the gunman might be her abusive ex-boyfriend from South Carolina, who has a history of domestic violence.
The attack happened around 9:20 p.m. on Friday in East Elmhurst, near 96th Street and 31st Avenue. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny shared details Thursday, saying Donovan was relaxing in an open courtyard behind her building when the gunman rushed her. Video footage shows her looking up in surprise, clearly recognizing the attacker, before she bolted away in panic—she even lost her shoes while running.
Kenny described the terrifying scene: “She tries to run so frantically that she actually runs out of her own shoes. The perpetrator catches up in the basement and shoots her multiple times in the head.” The gunman wore a distinctive blue Under Armour hoodie and had been spotted walking around the Jackson Heights area for hours before the ambush, pacing from Astoria Boulevard to Northern Boulevard.
After the Queens shooting, surveillance cameras caught him hopping on a bus and then a train to Manhattan. He skipped paying his fare at the Canal Street station, which helped cops track him. “All indications point to him heading back to Lower Manhattan, and we’re still following leads from there,” Kenny said.
Donovan had moved to New York just six months earlier to live with her grandmother and cousin, fleeing the abusive relationship. She and her ex had dated in South Carolina, where they both worked at a Walmart. He’s now wanted for domestic violence there, though she never filed complaints about him in New York.
Cops have zeroed in on a person of interest, but they haven’t confirmed it’s the ex-boyfriend yet. “It’s a possibility we’re not ruling out, but nothing’s confirmed without probable cause,” Kenny explained.
Donovan’s mom, Helena Hypolite, told reporters her daughter knew the shooter. “She saw the person and ran, so it’s someone she knew,” Hypolite said. “Who? We don’t know. It’s definitely a mystery.” Heartbroken, she added, “I’m hurt. I feel broken—like a piece of me is gone.”
The young woman, originally from St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, worked the overnight shift at a McDonald’s and was a standout employee. Her boss even called her at 11 p.m. Friday to cover a Saturday shift, unaware of the tragedy. Donovan loved dancing and her mom’s chicken curry. “Her smile brightened up the room,” Hypolite recalled. “She was always funny and liked to crack jokes.”
This Queens apartment shooting highlights the dangers of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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