4 dead of injuries consistent with methods used by gang

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Four young men found dead in a park from injuries inflicted by a sharp-edged object were killed in a way that is consistent with the methods of the MS-13 street gang, according to police, who declared war against gang violence in the suburbs of Long Island.

The victims, ranging in age from 16 to 20, were discovered in a wooded area near a soccer field in Central Islip, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said. He said the bodies had “significant trauma” wounds, and he believes all the victims were killed there.

He did not definitively say the killings were the work of the MS-13 gang but said the tactics — using sharp instruments and extreme violence — were consistent with the gang, which has been gaining a foothold on Long Island for years.

“This is a long-term war and make no mistake about it, it’s a war,” Sini told reporters, announcing a $25,000 reward for information about the killings. “Today is a sad day in Suffolk County, particularly for the loved ones and the family members and the friends of those who were murdered, but we maintain our resolve.”

William Tigre told reporters near the scene that an acquaintance told him Wednesday night that his 18-year-old brother, Jorge, was among those killed. The acquaintance also indicated he knew of the killings because he had been there.

The acquaintance “called saying that my brother was here, dead,” Tigre, 21, said. “He just said, ‘I saw your brother dying, and I escaped.’ That’s the only thing he said. He didn’t say nothing else.”

Sini confirmed to The Associated Press that police had begun a missing-person’s investigation for Jorge Tigre on Tuesday. He would not comment on whether the teenager was among those killed.

The discovery of the bodies comes about a month after the arrest of eight MS-13 gang members in connection with the September killings of two teenage girls in nearby Brentwood.

Gang violence has been a problem in Central Islip, Brentwood and other Long Island communities for more than a decade.