A woman attempting to protect her daughter from a shooting was fatally shot last month by her estranged homeless husband in Queens, according to prosecutors. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on June 23 in South Jamaica, when Audwin Caines, 62, reportedly approached 45-year-old Chaneil Ramsay as she walked with her 21-year-old daughter and began firing his weapon.

Ramsay and her daughter took cover behind a parked car on 127th Avenue. As Ramsay tried to distance herself from Caines, she ran toward her daughter to shield her, prompting Caines to shoot her at close range. She was found face-down on the pavement, unconscious with a gunshot wound to the head, and was later pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.

Police revealed that before the shooting, Ramsay discovered her Jeep Grand Cherokee’s front passenger window shattered by a brick, which her estranged husband had sent her threatening messages about via WhatsApp. The messages included threats to damage her vehicle and harm her.

In a previous incident in July 2024, Caines allegedly assaulted Ramsay with a full bottle of alcohol, hitting her in the head and stabbing her in the chest and elbow with broken glass, during an argument at their home. Prosecutors state that during the current attack, Ramsay also stepped in to protect her daughter when Caines approached with a firearm.

Caines was arraigned on multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, and weapons possession. He was ordered detained without bail and faced a court hearing scheduled for Friday. If convicted, he could serve between 25 years and life in prison.

The Queens District Attorney expressed shock over the killing, emphasizing that the victim was senselessly murdered in an escalating pattern of violence, and affirmed her office’s commitment to seeking justice for Ramsay’s family.