An occupied home near South Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie was struck by gunfire around 12:15 a.m. Monday, and police say a 20-year-old man was taken into custody a short time later carrying a loaded .45-caliber handgun. Amir Thigpen was charged with felony criminal possession of a firearm following the shooting, according to police.
City of Poughkeepsie police officers and detectives were investigating an unrelated call in the South Hamilton Street area when they heard multiple gunshots, according to police cited by Daily Voice. Investigators say they recovered multiple shell casings at the scene, and police report that the occupied residence had been struck by gunfire. Officers took Thigpen into custody following the incident and say they found a loaded .45-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun in his possession.
Thigpen was booked at Poughkeepsie police headquarters and charged with felony criminal possession of a firearm. Under New York Penal Law, that specific charge — Criminal Possession of a Firearm under Penal Law Section 265.01-b — is a Class E felony carrying a maximum of up to four years in prison and up to five years of probation. That's notably less severe than Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree under Section 265.03, a Class C violent felony punishable by up to 15 years, which applies when someone is proven to have possessed a loaded firearm outside a home or business with intent to use it unlawfully. Prosecutors weighing evidentiary factors — including intent and whether the weapon's operable status can be established — often determine which of the two charges ultimately applies, and it remains unclear whether Thigpen could face additional or upgraded charges as the investigation continues.
A Familiar Street For Poughkeepsie Police
This is not the first serious gunfire reported near South Hamilton Street this month. On August 1, a 22-year-old man was shot in the chest and buttocks near South Hamilton and Montgomery Streets, an incident that remains under investigation according to News 12 Hudson Valley. The area has become a recurring focal point for city patrols and community safety efforts.
Just over a week before Thigpen's arrest, officers recovered two loaded handguns — a .380-caliber Ruger and a 9mm SCCY fitted with an extended magazine — during a Main Street traffic stop, charging four young adults with Class C felony weapon possession, per the City of Poughkeepsie PBA. Together, the two incidents point to sustained police interdiction targeting illegal firearms on city streets even as officials tout broader progress against gun violence.
Citywide Numbers Show Improvement, But Gaps Remain
State data released by Governor Kathy Hochul's office in July showed shooting incidents involving injury across New York communities in the Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative fell 19 percent during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the New York State Executive Chamber. Poughkeepsie itself recorded just one shooting incident with injury in the first quarter of 2026, down from three during the same period in 2025, per state Division of Criminal Justice Services data reported by WPDH.
Poughkeepsie is classified as a Tier I agency under the GIVE initiative because of its focus on reducing shootings and fatalities. Mayor Yvonne Flowers, who took office in January 2024 after four terms on the City Council, emphasized expanded public safety investments, youth programming, and community street outreach during her State of the City address earlier this month. The city also partners with the state-funded SNUG street outreach program on North Hamilton Street, which uses the Cure Violence model to deploy outreach workers who mediate disputes before they turn into gunfire.
Broader Crackdown On Hudson Valley Gun Crime
The Thigpen arrest comes against the backdrop of a larger regional reckoning with gang-driven gun violence. In July, federal prosecutors wrapped up a yearslong racketeering case that resulted in convictions for more than 40 members and associates of the Young Gunnaz and Double Nine Grim Reapers gangs operating in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, as Hoodline previously reported. That case followed other high-profile local prosecutions, including a 10-year sentence handed down in April for a Main Street shooting.
Anyone with information about Monday's shooting is asked to contact the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department's anonymous Cash for Tips Hotline at 845-451-7577, which offers $250 for information leading to the recovery of an illegal gun and $500 for information leading to an arrest. It is unclear whether Thigpen has entered a plea or retained an attorney, and police have not said whether the shooting was connected to any specific dispute.
