EDITOR’S NOTE: The previous headline did not accurately capture the ties between Tuesday night’s memorial and the South End shooting from 2020. It has since been corrected.
GLENMONT — The gunfire incident that killed an Albany man in a suburban town park last night has possible ties to a South End murder that happened one year to the day.
The Bethlehem Police Department confirmed that the gathering at Henry Hudson Park on Tuesday, Aug. 17 was a memorial service; however, it did not release any more details.
Social media activity showed plans for a memorial to honor the life of Ramon Luis Gonzalez for Tuesday night. Gonzalez was 19 when he was shot and killed on Moore Street on a Monday evening in Albany’s South End on Aug. 17, 2020. Associates of his had recently shared plans for a memorial on social media, only to be followed with hints of subsequent violence that happened at the gathering.
Bethlehem police received a phone call at approximately 8:53 p.m. reporting gunshots at the town park. According to a statement from Cmdr. James Rexford, those attending the gathering fled the scene as police arrived. The two victims who were shot had also left the scene and were driven to Albany Medical Center.
Bethlehem police identified Rahmier S. Stevenson, 23, of Albany, as the murder victim. Traydon J. Lawrence, 20, of Troy, was also shot but was described with non-life-threatening injuries.
Bethlehem police continue to investigate the case as a murder. Its last update to the media was that it gathered bullet casings from the scene, but would not disclose the caliber of the shells or how many.
The popular park is located at the southeast corner of Bethlehem, near where the Vloman Kill meets the Hudson River. The Vloman Kill marks the borderline between the two towns of Bethlehem and Coeymans. The facilities include a boat launch for motorized craft, a boat launch for kayaks, canoes and other hand-powered craft, picnic areas with grills, a softball field and a playground.
The park is closed after dusk.
“This terrible act of gun violence has no place in our community,” Town Supervisor David VanLuven responded on social media.” He shared that Albany Police, State Police and the Albany County Sheriff’s Department are aiding in the investigation, “to ensure… that those responsible are held accountable.”
The Bethlehem Police Department asks that anyone who may have information regarding
this incident to call the Bethlehem Police Department at 518-439-9973.
