Valley Stream woman faces murder charges in Far Rockaway shooting

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A Valley Stream woman, along with her son are facing murder charges after the two allegedly worked together to shoot and kill a Far Rockaway man over a “petty dispute” the Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Oct. 23.

Prosecutors are accusing Avita Campbell, 38, who lives on Hook Creek Boulevard, and her son, Raymond Jackson, 22, whose place of residence was not listed, of allegedly “teaming up” to kill Lasaaun Lawrence, 27, in Far Rockaway. Jackson allegedly shot Lawrence “point blank” with a handgun more than a dozen times as he sat in his car double parked on Beach 31st Street late in the afternoon of Sept. 23, Katz’s office said.

Campbell was arraigned Oct. 23 on charges of second-degree murder, weapon possession, criminal mischief, unlawful possession of personal identification information and driving without a license. Jackson, when found, will face second-degree murder, criminal weapon possession and unlawful possession of personal identification charges upon his arrest.

The two could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Campbell’s attorney in the case, Brooklyn-based Michael Kushner, said that the murder charges against his client were likely an effort to pressure Jackson into surrendering to police.

“Their own allegations don’t point to her as the shooter,” Kushner said of the charges. “The son is still at large and I think they arrested her, and charged her in an effort to pressure her son into returning to face the case.”

“I don’t think their evidence is going to show she’s guilty of murder in the second degree,” he added of Campbell.

Prosecutors say that at around 5:40 p.m. on Sept. 23, Campbell and Jackson were allegedly seen on video surveillance stopping their white BMW, which Campbell was reportedly driving, on Beach 31st Street in Far Rockaway. They proceeded to get out, and reportedly approached Lawrence, with Campbell allegedly armed with what appeared to be a metal pipe and Jackson with a handgun. Upon walking up to Lawrence, Katz’s office says Jackson allegedly raised his arm and shot Lawrence multiple times. After he had stopped shooting, Campbell allegedly took the pipe and shattered Lawrence’s windshield before they jumped back into the BMW and fled.

Police reportedly pulled Campbell over on Oct. 2, and upon searching her vehicle, found a loaded silver and black firearm with addition ammunition inside a book bag. After an investigation, police reportedly discovered that the vehicle she was driving was the same BMW that she had allegedly been driving on the evening of the shooting. The gun police found was also allegedly a match to the one used to kill Lawrence.

Police also reportedly found $9,640 in cash, credit cards in other people’s name and a detailed ledger with the names and personal information of more than 700 different people. Some of the credit cards recovered reportedly matched the names of people listed in the ledger, police said.