Long Island Father Killed in Targeted Park Shooting as Chaos at Hospital Forces Lockdown

A Long Island father of two was fatally shot in what police believe was a targeted attack at a North Bellport park, before a confrontation involving one of his friends triggered further chaos at the hospital where he was taken.

Lonnie Booker, 43, was shot in the chest at Robert Rowley Park at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Emergency responders transported Booker to NYU Langone-Suffolk in East Patchogue, approximately three miles from the park. He was later pronounced dead.

Police believe victim and gunman knew each other

Investigators do not currently believe the shooting was random.

Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said evidence indicates Booker knew the person who shot him and described the incident as an apparent targeted attack.

Surveillance cameras in the area captured a suspect leaving the scene in a red sedan, police said.

No arrests have been announced, and investigators have not publicly identified the suspected shooter.

Detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad are continuing to investigate and have asked anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

Confrontation erupts at hospital

Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said that Booker and his killer knew each other and that surveillance cameras captured the suspect fleeing the scene in a red sedan.Google Maps

The disorder did not end at Robert Rowley Park.

After Booker was transported to the hospital, his friend Emmanuel Mayo, 37, reportedly followed him there.

Police said Mayo became involved in a confrontation with an officer while attempting to enter the hospital. He allegedly pushed the officer and then resisted efforts to arrest him.

As the situation escalated, police and hospital staff temporarily stopped visitors from entering the building until order was restored.

Mayo was subsequently charged with second-degree harassment and resisting arrest.

Family and friends mourn father of two

In the aftermath of Booker’s death, relatives and friends gathered at Robert Rowley Park, where a memorial was established in his honor.

His cousin Earl Parker remembered Booker as an “outstanding guy” and expressed disbelief over the violent circumstances of his death.

Booker was a father of two.

The shooting has also renewed concerns about safety around the park.

Exactly one week before Booker was killed, police took seven people into custody for trespassing at the park after dark. Four were found to have outstanding warrants, while three others received field appearance tickets.

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said the town had previously invested in security improvements at the park, including surveillance cameras, following complaints from neighbors about people gathering there after hours.

Those cameras have now become part of the investigation into Booker’s death.

Catalina said Booker was the first shooting victim in the Fifth Precinct this year, while emphasizing that even one shooting or homicide victim is too many.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to identify and locate the person responsible.