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Amira McCleod went to the house party to relax and have fun with her friends. She was a 19-year-old college sophomore enjoying a Saturday night out on Long Island.
But the St. Albans, Queens, woman never made it home.
A starting guard on the women’s basketball team at Monroe University in the Bronx, McCleod died instantly when a stray bullet struck her in the head outside a Hempstead home last November — the final shot fired by a Baldwin teenager who had just opened fire on partygoers after he refused to be searched at the door.
Last week, the shooter, Jacob McMillan, 18, of Baldwin pleaded guilty to murder, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
McMillan appeared in court Thursday before Nassau County Judge Helene Gugerty and admitted to charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. At his Aug. 11 sentencing, he is expected to receive 20 years to life in prison.
Donnelly said the violence erupted about 10:50 p.m. on Nov. 22, outside a home on Willow Avenue. McMillan came the party and was approached by someone hosting the event, who attempted to pat him down before allowing him inside.
But McMillan refused, drew a handgun and fired two shots at the man who tried to search him, striking him in the arm as he dove behind a car.
McMillan then fled southbound on Kennedy Avenue. But before he got far, he turned and fired one more shot. That bullet passed through the shoulder of another man before striking McCleod in the head.
Hours after helping to lead her team to a homecourt win over Dutchess Community College, McCleod was dead.
“Knowing he was armed, Jacob McMillan could have turned and walked away,” Donnelly said. “Instead, he pulled his gun and started to fire.
‘Heart of the team’
“Amira was innocent — enjoying her friendships and her youth when her life was shockingly and tragically cut short by this defendant’s violent outburst,” Donnelly said. “This plea ensures justice for Amira and the countless people who loved her.”
At the time of her passing, McLeod was described by Monroe women’s basketball coach Damel Ling as “the heart of the team.”
“Her commitment, work ethic, and positivity were truly unmatched,” Ling said. “Her presence was a constant source of inspiration, and we will miss her every day.”
Monroe Athletics Director David Spiegel added that “Amira was not only a standout student-athlete but also a vibrant, uplifting presence within our team and community.”
Surveillance footage leads to McMillan’s arrest
After the shooting, McMillan slipped into a backyard about a block south of the party and waited, prosecutors said. About 11 p.m., a blue Ford Edge from a ride-share service picked him up and drove him back to Baldwin, dropping him near his home on Wales Avenue, authorities added.
Donnelly explained how investigators pieced together McMillan’s movements through an extensive review of surveillance footage.
Cameras captured McMillan — wearing a dark blue and black North Face jacket, light-colored jeans and black sneakers — boarding a Long Island Rail Road train earlier that night, transferring to a Nassau Inter-County Express bus, and stepping off near the Willow Avenue home shortly before the shooting.
A doorbell camera across the street captured him at the scene. He was arrested Dec. 2.
“McMillan ended two lives that night — 19-year-old Amira McCleod’s and his own,” Donnelly said.
Top: (left) Amira McCleod (Monroe University) and Jacob McMillan (NCPD).
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