Robert Brown's photo released as police seek help finding his killer

Seeking information about his slaying, Nassau County police have released a photograph of Robert Brown, 16, who was shot and killed as he stepped out of a house late Friday night on Bennett Avenue in Hempstead.

Police are asking anyone with information about the homicide to come forward and help them catch the killer -- or killers.

"You don't have to reveal your identity to help solve this crime," the police Crime Stoppers flier seeking information about the shooting says.

Sources said Brown's slaying might be gang-related.

The May 23 killing was the fourth this year in Hempstead Village, the third within the month.

On May 5, two New Cassel men were shot and killed as they sat in a car in front of a home on Belmont Parkway.

Brown was shot and killed as he stepped out of a house on Bennett Avenue at 11:50 p.m. Friday, police said.

Brown clutched his chest and staggered back into the house, screaming, "Oh! Oh! I can't breathe," Kayla Childress, 18, a friend of Brown's, said.

"We lifted up his shirt and he had a hole in his chest," Childress told Newsday after the shooting, adding: "He was going in and out of consciousness. We just tried to keep his eyes open, keep him alive."

Brown was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died just after 2 a.m., police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Homicide Squad at 516-573-7788 or Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. Callers are eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and, as police said, callers can remain anonymous.