Mastic man sentenced in fatal shooting of longtime friend on Poospatuck Reservation

A Mastic man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 2023 fatal shooting of his longtime friend.

James Brown 45, was convicted of the murder of Umar Elquhir, also 45, of Mastic. A jury found him guilty of murder in the second-degree and other related charges earlier last month, according to a news release from the office of Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.

On Nov. 7, 2023, surveillance video from a smoke shop near the Poospatuck Reservation, captured Brown and Elquhir engaging in a verbal dispute that turned into a physical altercation before Elquhir left. Two hours later, Elquhir was seen parking outside Brown’s home.

Brown soon emerged from his residence where he was seen walking up to the vehicle and kept yelling "You wanna die?" before firing a gun at Elquhir, who was in the driver’s seat, according to prosecutors. Brown went back into his house before Elquhir got out of the car and collapsed. Elquhir was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk where he was pronounced dead.

At trial, his defense lawyer argued that Elquhir had a complicated friendship with Brown and acted out of self-defense because he believed Elquhir returned to his house to kill him and had a gun.

It was later proven Elquhir was in fact unarmed while in the driver’s seat of his car.

In 2020, Elquhir was acquitted of murder after the fatal shooting of a Hempstead man, while Brown was convicted of first-degree assault in 2012.

"Mr. Brown and I are quite disappointed that the jury did not find that he was justified in taking the actions against the individual who we believe was there to kill him," said defense attorney Jason Russo back in May after the conviction, saying he would appeal.

"Violent rage has been met with severe consequence," said Tierney in a news release. "A life sentence is the only appropriate sentence for a criminal with a prior violent conviction, who has once again used a gun and has now killed."