EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Eighteen alleged gang members who reportedly kept score of shootings involving their rivals have been arrested and charged in a 41-count indictment.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill on Thursday announced the arrests linked to eight separate shootings, including two murders.
The suspects, said to be part of an East Flasbush-based gang, were identified as:
--Romel Baptiste, aka Roro, aka Double-O, 18
--Gymanni Carrington, aka Gymbo Slice, aka Skymbo, 17
--Stephon Daly, 19
--Jeremy Denaud, aka Jr, 17
--Javed Duncan, aka Steph, 17
--Asa Francis, aka ASAP, 18
--Kobe Franklyn, aka Lil Kobe, 16
--Kahrone Hyde, aka Ron, 18
--Aysia Perez, 19
--Demitrius Philemon, aka Dice, 20
--Harold Phillips, aka Kobe, 19
--Jahmel Phillips, aka Mel Floxks, aka Melio, 20
--Quentin Raymond, aka Que Spice, 17
--John Rodriguez, aka Loopy, 21
--Elijah Roy, aka Worm, 18
--Tyrique Royal, aka Ty 50, aka Ty Fif, 19
--Chyanne Tait, aka Chy-Chy, 19
--Name withheld pending arraignment
"These defendants are dangerously obsessed with committing acts of violence," Gonzalez said. "In this case, we allege, they cavalierly discuss shooting at rivals as if they were keeping score at a basketball game. But this is not a game. There is a trail of dead and injured victims."
It is alleged that between June 1, 2016, and June 14, 2018, during the course of the conspiracy, the gang was involved in a feud that was escalated by the murder of one of its alleged members. It is also alleged that numerous other shootings, including two fatal shootings, occurred during the course of the conspiracy, including a high-profile caught-on-camera shooting inside the Kings Plaza Mall.
Authorities say that in recorded conversations, gang members regularly discuss who is "up on the scoreboard," referring to shootings between the rival gangs. The defendants allegedly referred to guns as "ball kicks" and gunshots that missed their targets as "air balls." Jailed gang members were reportedly referred to as "bench warmers."
All of the suspects are charged with second- and fourth-degree conspiracy, and they are variously charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, first- and second-degree attempted assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison on the top conspiracy count.
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