Bronx man charged in Claremont shooting that killed porter dies on Rikers Island
News 12 was told that medical staff and Emergency Medical Services came to the aid of Jimmy Avila at the West Facility. He could not be revived and was pronounced dead just before 4:30 p.m.
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The Bronx man who was charged in a Claremont shooting that left a man dead and two others injured died on Rikers Island on Saturday.
News 12 was told that medical staff and Emergency Medical Services came to the aid of Jimmy Avila at the West Facility. He could not be revived and was pronounced dead just before 4:30 p.m.
Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement, "Our hearts are heavy with the loss of an individual in our care. We mourn his passing and extend our sympathies to his loved ones. We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of this tragic event."
Avila was facing charges of murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the shooting that killed Ryan Hines, a longtime porter at 1412 College Ave. Two other people, a 62-year-old and a 59-year-old, were injured in the shooting.
Avilla called the News 12 newsroom on Wednesday morning to identify himself as the shooter as he prepared to surrender to police.
As police banged on his apartment door, Avila spoke exclusively to News 12 reporter Nadia Galindo over the phone claiming self-defense.
He said the people who he shot where threatening his life.
The shooting happened inside and outside the apartment building where he lived.
Sources say the violence escalated from an ongoing dispute between neighbors over access to the building's backyard.
News 12 obtained copies of police reports that were filed against neighboring tenants in the building for harassment and menacing in July 2025.
Since at least 2018, Avila has shown a pattern of conflicts with landlords and building management across multiple apartments. In 2024, he spoke with News 12 inside his College Avenue unit, where he had court documents taped to his front door.
News 12's newsroom first interviewed Avila in 2018, and again in 2022 when he raised concerns about another apartment on Grant Avenue.
Over the years, Avila sent dozens of emails that detailed disputes with landlords and superintendents.
Avila also claimed he felt let down by building management and Adult Protective Services and that he needed to defend himself.
Court records show he was previously removed from a residence for being violent and aggressive. He filed multiple complaints against neighbors.
Back in July, Avila reported harassment and menacing.
