A 43-year-old North Bellport man was shot and killed near the handball courts at Robert Rowley Park on Tuesday evening, in what Suffolk County police describe as a targeted attack carried out by someone the victim knew. Lonnie Booker was struck once in the chest and later died at NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk, and as of Wednesday no arrests had been made in the case.
Police received a call just before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday reporting the shooting, according to WABC-TV, which reported that a single shot was fired at Booker before he was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the victim and the shooter appeared to know one another and that the suspect fled the scene in a red sedan. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Catalina noted that while any homicide is tragic, Booker's death marked the first shooting victim recorded in the department's Fifth Precinct in 2026, according to Newsday.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said the shooting occurred on a paved section of the park and was captured by four newly installed wide-angle surveillance cameras mounted on a nearby pole, per the same Newsday report. Panico said he personally reviewed footage showing bystanders present in the park as Booker fell to the ground. Despite the video evidence of the shooting and the fleeing vehicle, police have not yet identified the shooter or announced a formal motive.
Chaos Spilled Into the Hospital Emergency Room
Catalina said a dispute broke out at NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk after Booker was brought in for treatment, prompting police to limit access to the facility. The confrontation began when hostilities between park bystanders spilled into the hospital, and officers arrested a man for second-degree harassment and resisting arrest after he fought with both bystanders and officers, according to the site's report at Greater Long Island. No weapons were recovered at the hospital, police reported.
NYU Langone Health implemented temporary emergency-department visitor restrictions in the aftermath, with a hospital spokesperson saying the move was a precaution to ensure the safety of staff, patients, and visitors. Booker leaves behind two children. Earl Parker, a member of the Bellport community, told WABC-TV that Booker “was an outstanding person” who “should not have died that way.”
A Park Already Under Increased Scrutiny
The shooting comes amid heightened attention on Robert Rowley Park, located at 500 Patchogue Avenue in North Bellport, which serves as a primary neighborhood recreation space with basketball and handball courts, a multi-purpose athletic field, a playground, and picnic areas, according to Patch. The Town of Brookhaven had recently stepped up enforcement there, and just six days before the shooting, an after-hours sweep on September 23 resulted in seven people being summonsed for trespassing. Four of them were found to have outstanding bench warrants and were taken into custody, the outlet's account notes, though police said there is no known connection between that sweep and the homicide.
Alongside the enforcement push, Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne had arranged weeks earlier for the county Department of Social Services to conduct direct outreach at the park, offering housing assistance to unhoused individuals staying there. Only one person accepted the offer, and officials noted that unhoused residents frequently cite safety concerns about congregate shelters as a reason for declining such placements. The park has also been a site of community-building efforts in the past — in July 2022, the Fifth Precinct held a “Unity Day” gathering there with local organizations and churches to strengthen trust between officers and North Bellport residents, according to The Suffolk County News.
Rare Violence Against a Backdrop of Falling Crime
Booker's killing marks a notable local flashpoint against otherwise improving crime statistics across the region. Data published by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services in September showed that homicides in participating GIVE jurisdictions statewide, including Suffolk County, fell by 48 percent during the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period the year before, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. State funding tied to that program supports targeted police overtime and surveillance technology, including the type of camera system that recorded Tuesday's shooting.
If the shooter is eventually identified and charged with second-degree intentional murder under New York Penal Law § 125.25, the offense is classified as a Class A-I felony carrying a statutory sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment upon conviction, per the New York State Senate's penal code. Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooter or the red sedan to call Suffolk County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-220-TIPS or reach detectives directly at 631-852-6392. Police say the case remains under active investigation.
