The gang’s all here
19 from crew in Brooklyn charged
Prosecutors have charged 19 alleged Brooklyn gang members in connection with “senseless” shootings and “execution-style” homicides — that earned the shooters NBA nicknames including “Harden” and “Curry,” authorities said Wednesday.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the alleged 900 Gang members, some of whom were just 16 years old, were believed to have played a part in two murders and 10 nonfatal shootings over the last two years.
In one of the “terrible” acts, Gonzalez said at a press conference, 20-year-old Kaireil Haynie and 24-year-old Alexander Williams opened fire on rival Tylee Felder outside a housing complex in Clinton Hill on Sept. 28, hitting him six times, at least twice in the head.
“What I want you to see is how senseless the shooting is . . . this was simply a wanton act of gang violence,” he said after showing a graphic video of the shooting at a press conference Wednesday. “This is just [a] retaliatory shooting . . . it’s outrageous, and I’m just grateful we are able to solve this.”
Two innocent bystanders were also struck by gunfire in the attack, Gonzalez said.
In another shooting, on Oct. 31, 16-year-old Jalen Elliot allegedly opened fire on a group of teens standing outside 721 Willoughby Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant — hitting a 14-year-old in the leg, authorities said.
NYPD Inspector Jason Savino said the gang has committed “execution-style homicides” as the rivals “hunt each other for sport.”
In a portion of a jail-call transcript shown by Gonzalez, three of the alleged gang members laughed about the alleged shootings — proudly referring to other members as NBA shooting guards.
Gonzalez said the nicknames, such as “Curry,” “Westbrook” and “Harden” allegedly signified their status as shooters.
The alleged gangbangers, who range in age from 16 to 24, were named in two indictments with 88 counts charging them with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges.
Gonzalez said the busts came after receiving a “big break.”
“We were able to piece this case together by getting a big break by being able to get into the phone of the victim recovering these Instagram messages, and then working backward,” he said.
One of the 19 charged has not been arraigned. The rest were being held on bail, authorities said.
“There is no place in our city for the kind of violence alleged in this case, which tears at the fabric of life for all,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said.
“I commend our NYPD investigators, and the prosecutors in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, for working relentlessly to ensure these alleged gang members would be brought to justice.”