It started as a small argument over $25. Minutes later, gunfire erupted outside a Coram apartment — and the man accused of pulling the trigger would soon circle back to the scene himself.
Prosecutors say 18-year-old Dominick Tullon showed up outside a victim’s apartment on March 22 with two others, looking to collect a debt tied to a marijuana purchase allegedly made by the victim’s 16-year-old stepson.
What followed was a tense back-and-forth outside the apartment, with the victim, his wife, and his stepson arguing with the group. At one point, the victim told his family to go back inside, signaling the confrontation wasn’t going anywhere.
That’s when, according to investigators, the situation escalated.
Tullon allegedly pulled a handgun from a fanny pack and opened fire toward the victim and the apartment’s open doorway. Four shots were fired. Two struck the door frame. One bullet entered a neighboring apartment. Another hit the victim.
The aftermath is something the victim will carry with him permanently. He underwent two surgeries, but the bullet remains lodged near his spine. Doctors determined removing it could risk paralysis.
The shooter, prosecutors say, didn’t get far.
Roughly 19 minutes after fleeing, Tullon allegedly returned to the scene with his hands raised — and was taken into custody.
He was arraigned on April 2 and ordered held pending the case. If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
