A series of armed robberies in Queens, New York City ended in gunfire Tuesday evening November 19, when a man on lifetime parole exchanged shots with police, leaving an officer and a bystander wounded before the suspect was killed.
The incident began shortly after 5:30 p.m. when Gary “Green Eyes” Worthy, 57, allegedly robbed a bodega at gunpoint, firing a shot during the robbery. Less than an hour later, Worthy allegedly struck again, this time targeting a smoke shop on Guy Brewer Boulevard in the Jamaica, Queens neighborhood.
Officers patrolling the area were alerted to Worthy’s location by a witness who recognized him from the earlier robbery. When police attempted to stop him near Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street around 6:30 p.m., Worthy fled on foot.
During the pursuit, Worthy allegedly drew a firearm and shot Officer Rich Wong in the thigh. Wong, a seven-year veteran of the 103rd Precinct, returned fire, striking Worthy in the face.
A 26-year-old woman caught in the crossfire was also shot in the leg. Both Wong and the bystander were transported to Jamaica Hospital and are expected to recover fully.
The gunfire caused panic among hundreds of pedestrians on Jamaica Avenue, described by witnesses as the busiest street in Queens. Queen mom Jennifer Wilson, who was picking up pizza nearby, described the chaos: “It was followed by three more loud bangs and I said, ‘Oh, those are gunshots and I need to run'”
Another witness, Harry Jaikarran, 58, expressed his shock at the violence: “For 45 years, I’ve lived in America, I never heard a gunshot like this.”
Court records reveal Worthy’s extensive criminal history, including 17 prior arrests dating back to the 1980s. He was serving lifetime parole for firearms possession when the shootout occurred.
In 1994, Worthy was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. After his release, he was arrested again in 2008 for weapons possession, controlled substance possession, and burglary. These convictions resulted in a 12-year sentence at Otisville Correctional Facility, from which he was released in 2021 on lifetime parole.
Despite his parole status, Worthy had been arrested seven times since 2021. Six days before the shooting, he was arrested for felony narcotics possession and resisting arrest but was released. At the time of the incident, he was wanted in connection with three additional gunpoint robberies at Queens businesses between October 31 and November 15, where he allegedly fired shots during each robbery.