15 reputed gang members accused of multiple shootings in Brooklyn, NYPD says

"“These men were ready for war, willing to use guns at a moment's notice,” Gonzalez said, referring to the defendants who ranged in ages from 23 years old to 17. They were all accused of pulling triggers during the various crimes. Speaking at a news conference with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Gonzalez said that the defendant were so trigger-happy that they sprayed bullets with reckless abandon and in one case killed a fellow gang member by “friendly fire.”"

"The shootings, which took place within the past 13 months, saw nearly 200 rounds fired, sometimes during daylight hours on busy streets filled with pedestrians and motorists who fled in fear, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said at a news conference announcing the charges. The shootings took place throughout the borough, in residential areas as well as downtown Brooklyn, and involved 10 police precinct areas and more than a dozen neighborhoods, said Gonzalez."

"Tisch said the case was made by detectives monitoring social media posts by gang members around the time of the shootings, in which they sometimes berated associates for not hitting the intended targets. Tisch also noted that the investigation used the gang criminal database to help secure indictments in the case. Among the gangs implicated in the shootings are the FOG Koney Sides and Fox Nation."

"The shootings contributed to what Gonzalez said were “destabilized” neighborhoods, including those around public housing areas such as Flatbush Gardens. Investigators said the shootings were brazen. In one case, a gang member had just left his probation officer when he confronted three other rival gang members who had apparently been stalking him in the lobby of the office building in Downto"

Fifteen Brooklyn gang members were arrested and charged for a series of gun violence incidents across the borough over 13 months. Seven people were shot, including four bystanders, and one person was killed. Nearly 200 rounds were fired in residential areas and downtown Brooklyn, including daylight shootings on busy streets where pedestrians and motorists fled. The incidents involved 10 police precinct areas and more than a dozen neighborhoods, including areas near public housing such as Flatbush Gardens. Prosecutors said the defendants were willing to use guns immediately and sprayed bullets recklessly, including a case where a fellow gang member was killed by “friendly fire.” Investigators built the case using social media monitoring and a gang criminal database.

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