Authorities indicted 20 suspected gang members in a spate of gun violence in New York, including the mistaken identity drive-by murder of Kimberly Midgette, right inset. Oumar Barry, left inset, was indicted in Midgette’s murder. (Screenshots from Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s news conference)
Twenty suspected gang members have been indicted in a yearslong spate of gun violence in New York, including the mistaken identity drive-by murder of an elementary school teacher killed in her car as her daughter watched.
A 103-count indictment charges 31 members and associates of the Bloodhound Brims, a part of the notorious Bloods street gang, alleging 34 separate incidents, including 18 shootings, three armed robberies, and three long-term conspiracies, including a conspiracy to commit murder, prosecutors said. A dozen loaded handguns that authorities said were used in 13 shootings and armed robberies have been recovered.
“The message here today is loud and clear here. Law enforcement on Long Island stands united to investigate, prosecute, and hold responsible the individuals who are responsible for the violence on our streets,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a news conference. “If you fire a gun, if you conspire to fire a gun, if you support anyone who fires a gun, or you sell drugs or commit robberies, or support that activity, you will be held responsible.”
Suspected gang leader Latique “La Brim” Johnson, 43, was charged with three counts of conspiracy for allegedly directing gang operations while serving 30 years in federal prison in California after his conviction in 2019 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). From prison, Johnson was allegedly in constant communication with leaders of the gang on Long Island, officials said.
Johnson and two other gang leaders allegedly demanded and received payments into Johnson’s prison commissary account via Cash App, Zelle and other apps from gang members around the country. Authorities said they seized $31,000 of that money.
Johnson allegedly promoted or kicked out members and associates based on violent street activity, Tierney said.
Through proxies, Johnson allegedly posted messages on social media urging low-ranking gang members to commit violence and establish dominance over rival gangs.
The violence alleged in the indictment was vengeance that started after a prominent member of their gang was killed by a rival.
It started on Aug. 23, 2021, when Brims gang members went to the home of the person they believed was the shooter and fired seven shots into the residence. No one was injured.
On Jan. 12, 2022, Brims gang members fired shots at the homes of two high-ranking rivals. A resident at one of the homes at the time was shot in the leg.
Four shootings were reported between March 20 and 22, 2022. One gang member was promoted within the gang’s ranks for organizing and committing the shootings.
On April 1, Kimberly Midgette, a 44-year-old elementary school teacher, was killed while in a car outside the home of her ex-husband, where she was dropping off her daughter for the weekend.
Gang members in a stolen car opened fire on her Toyota Corolla, striking Midgette in the head. Midgette’s friend, a passenger in the car, was hit in the arm. Midgette’s 10-year-old daughter, in the back seat, was not hit.
Oumar “Dollo” Barry, then 27, and a then 16-year-old defendant were arrested and charged for Midgette’s murder, authorities said.
“Kimberly Midgette was a beloved elementary school teacher at a public school in the Bronx and mother to a 10-year-old daughter,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a news release. “Her light was cruelly stolen from all those who cherished her when a hail of bullets entered her vehicle and killed her, and struck her friend. Thankfully, Kimberly’s daughter, who was in the back seat of the car during the shooting, was unharmed. The child will now live with the tragic and senseless loss of her mother. Our thoughts are with Kimberly’s family, friends, and school community as they mourn her loss.”
On April 15, gang members allegedly fired three guns at two homes of suspected rivals. No one was injured in either residence.
On May 25, Brims allegedly lured a male victim to a home under the guise of a marijuana deal. Once there, two defendants allegedly entered the victim’s vehicle and ordered him to drive to a dead-end road. There, they threatened to shoot him and demanded money and marijuana. When the victim tried to escape, one of the defendants allegedly shot him once in the back at close range with a .45 caliber pistol. The victim suffered gunshot wounds, requiring an extended hospital stay. Following the shooting and robbery, the mother of one of the alleged conspirators helped them escape from the scene, prosecutors said.
On July 7, gang members allegedly lured a 15-year-old girl to an under the guise that one of them wanted to buy marijuana from her. Once the girl arrived, gang members allegedly demanded money and “weed” at gunpoint, and a juvenile defendant allegedly shot the victim in the arm and stole marijuana.
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