A Bronx man convicted in the attack that fatally wounded Los Angeles rapper Avanti Frowner is seeking $1 million from New York City, claiming he was injured in a fall inside a Rikers Island shower.
River Jones, one of four defendants indicted in the 2022 daylight shooting at a Bronx pharmacy, filed a petition in Bronx Supreme Court alleging that the slip-and-fall accident entitles him to the substantial payout.
Jones was an 18-year-old Monroe College student when Frowner, 27, was attacked. He was initially charged with second-degree murder. Investigators said Jones and two other men assaulted and robbed Frowner, also known as Money Gang Vontae, before Isaiah Garrett, now 28, allegedly shot him multiple times.
Jones was later convicted of first-degree gang assault. Online records show that he has been held at Gouverneur Correctional Facility in upstate New York since June 25 and is scheduled to become eligible for parole in 2029.
According to court documents, Jones was being held at Rikers’ George R. Vierno Detention Center when he allegedly slipped in a shower in December 2025.
In his filing, Jones claims the fall caused “serious” injuries across his body, including trauma to his head, neck and face.
Medical records submitted to the court, however, indicate that he suffered a fractured elbow.
“[He was] presenting with left elbow pain after he slipped and fell in the shower,” the examining physician wrote. The doctor noted that Jones denied hitting his head, losing consciousness or suffering any other injuries.
Court records show that Jones underwent surgery and was released without complications.
Jones is seeking damages from the city and the Correction Department, alleging that the shower area lacked safety mats that could have prevented the fall.
The city Correction Department did not respond to requests for comment. Lawyers representing Jones and the city also declined to comment.
