A Queens madman has been convicted of gunning down his nephew in a “petty dispute” about who was paying for the chicken at a family BBQ.
Durran Morgan, 40, was initially thrown out of the family home in St. Albans over his fight with nephew Chevaughn Millings, 25, about who was paying for the food at the Memorial Day gathering in 2023.
But around 9:15 p.m., Morgan stormed back into the Pineville Lane home — and shot the younger relative 10 times, prosecutors said.
Chevaughn Millings, 25, was shot 10 times by his uncle in the petty dispute. GofundmeThe gunman’s 20-year-old niece was also “hit multiple times in the leg and grazed by a bullet on her forehead,” prosecutors said, without otherwise identifying her.
“She survived and is continuing to recover,” prosecutors said, while Millings died from bullets to the legs and body.
Morgan fled to Georgia — but later returned to New York to surrender at the 113th Precinct.
It’s still unclear how much he asked Millings to pay for the chicken.
During his arraignment in 2023, Morgan’s lawyer claimed he was an Iraq war Marine veteran – a fact that was disproved by prosecutors during the trial, according to the Daily News.
Millings’ family set up a GoFundMe in his name. GofundmeIt took a jury less than two hours of deliberation on Wednesday to convict Morgan of murder and assault. He faces up to 50 years to life in prison at sentencing in Queens Supreme Court on Dec. 16.
“What should have been a joyous holiday weekend turned to complete tragedy when the defendant shot and killed his 25-year-old nephew over a petty dispute about food payment,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
“Gun violence is never the answer to any argument.”
Four months prior to killing his nephew, Morgan was arrested and charged with beating his 15-year-old daughter with a belt, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily News at the time. Police raided his home following the arrest and found 21 high-capacity magazine rounds.
He was released without bail in January 2023 and was due back in court on those charges in June, just a couple weeks after he shot Millings.
Millings’ mother spoke to reporters after the shooting and remembered her son as kind and helpful.
“He’s hardworking. He loved to draw. He loved to sing, and he’s always helping me to do everything,” she told the Daily News at the time.
“I’m in shock … confused.”
