Jake’s 58 Casino Accused Shooter Charged in New York State

Posted on: September 1, 2024, 06:59h. 

Last updated on: September 1, 2024, 06:59h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A man appeared in court on Friday for allegedly shooting and seriously wounding a pedestrian in a Jake’s 58 Casino and Hotel parking lot in New York’s Suffolk County.

Nashawn Legros, 24, of Wyandanch, N.Y., was indicted for second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, unauthorized use of a vehicle, as well as two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to prosecutors.

Legros’ bail was set at $1M by New York State Judge Richard Ambro during the court appearance. Legros remains behind bars and is to next appear in court on Friday.

The May 31 incident began when Legros was in a car parked at the Islandia, N.Y. gaming property. He spotted the intended victim walking toward the casino entrance.

Shot at Close Range

Legos got out of the car and approached the man while he was still in the lot. Legos pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest and stomach at close range, authorities said.

The victim made it inside of the casino before collapsing and received emergency care from casino staff and civilians before being transported to the hospital for emergency surgery,” prosecutors revealed in a statement.

Following the gunshots, Legros got back into the vehicle and drove away from the casino. He later ditched the car in a nearby Long Island town.

Legos was identified by police and arrested in Riverhead, N.Y. on Thursday.

The victim wasn’t identified by police, but was described as a 38-year-old Wyandanch resident.

Many Lives Threatened

This defendant’s alleged crimes not only threatened the victim’s life, but also the lives of everyone else in the casino parking lot at the time. That is unacceptable,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in last week’s statement.

Authorities have yet to detail a motive in the shooting. No one else was injured.

Islandia is a village located about 50 miles east of New York City.

Internal Review

The violent incident led casino officials to undertake a review of their safety procedures.

“We’re going to revamp and refresh everything we have, do new training for our workers and work more closely with the Suffolk County Police Department who … did a great job,” Phil Boyle, president and CEO of Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting, told News 12 Long Island earlier this year.