33 alleged gang members facing charges, including murder in Queens
QUEENS, New York (WABC) -- A three-year investigation led to the arrests and indictments of 33 alleged gang members in southeast Queens and officials say it could be the largest gang takedown ever in the borough.
The 151-count indictment includes 22 murders, most notably the 2019 murder of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin who was fatally shot on a basketball court.
He was an innocent victim.
"Getting up, going to work ... sometimes it's a struggle getting up, just for me to get out of the bed," Griffin's mother Shanequa Griffin said.
Among the suspects included 20-year-old Sean Brown, who police say was responsible for firing the bullets that took Aamir Griffin's life.
The indictment also includes the 2020 New Year's Eve slaying of 26-year-old Sean Vance. He was shot while sitting in his car in Jamaica.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell made the announcement in Queens along with other officials.
"We cannot erase the pain of all this suffering, but we will say humbly as we stand here, gangs cannot and will not intimidate our streets. Criminality does have consequences and this is exactly what it looks like," said Deputy Chief Jason Savino, NYPD.
Guns that were confiscated as part of the arrests were on display.
The indictment is the culmination of a nearly three-year investigation into gun and gang violence in and around Baisley Park Houses and nearby communities.
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