By JUDY RATTNER
According to the Nassau County Homicide Squad, the Rockville Centre Police Department received a 911 call reporting shots fired at 12:18 a.m. on Sunday. Responding officers found Davis lying unconscious in the road in front of Old Mill Court. Emergency medical technicians administered aid to Davis, but he was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. He had suffered an apparent gunshot wound to his torso.
Davis's body was taken to the Nassau County Morgue for further examination, and his family was notified.
"I heard it, but I did not see it," said Ellie Krut, who lives in senior housing on Maine Avenue. "We've had bullets before, and many incidents lately. A group of us went down to Town Hall about three years ago, and at the time we were asking for a larger presence of police. And we did get it for a while, but I don't see them now.
"The entire back of the apartment building heard the shots as well," Krut added. "Many saw all the activity - the body wasn't removed until 6:45 a.m. The police came around and knocked on the doors of people whose windows looked over it. I hate to say this, but we'll probably see more police now that someone has died."
"I had just crawled into bed at 12:10," said another resident of the complex, who declined to be identified. "I heard four, five, six shots at 12:18. It was right outside. I rolled onto the floor. After about five minutes I went to the window. The only thing I saw was the body."
"Most of the time they're down further," said the resident, referring to other incidents involving gunshots. "I hear them, but they're getting progressively worse. This time I knew it was close. Everybody in here is panic-stricken and very upset. It's going to go on until they clean out the people who are causing this. We're kind of tired of not being able to go to bed at night."
Rockville Centre Police Commissioner Jack McKeon said, "Although the violent death of any human being is regrettable, in this case the deceased was not an innocent bystander. Rather, we believe he was engaged in unlawful narcotics activity immediately prior to his death. In this case he crossed the wrong person. The subject has a lengthy criminal background that includes 33 total prior arrest charges ... resulting in 22 convictions - six for felonies, five of which were violent felonies.
"We're working a joint investigation with Nassau County's Homicide Squad and Rockville Centre's Anti-Crime Unit," McKeon continued. "We're working hand in hand to bring this to a successful resolution. We have several strong leads at this moment, but as this is a vigorous and active investigation, it would not be prudent for me to discuss this further at this time."
McKeon went on to say that even before this incident, police patrols had been increased in the area. Police say they are looking for the cooperation of the Rockville Centre Housing Authority and the community in solving the crime. Investigating detectives ask that anyone with information about it contact the Nassau County Police Department's Crime Stoppers Section at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
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