NEW YORK– Four bystanders were shot to death over the past 18 months amid gang rivalry in Upper Manhattan, authorities said Thursday as they announced charges against dozens of people in a yearslong mix of gunfire, robberies, gun deals, car crashes and more.
One shooting injured a woman who was eight months pregnant and sitting in a parked car, police and prosecutors said. Another sent bullets into a crowded basketball court, where a spectator was hit in the chest.
Those victims survived. But four other bystanders, aged 44 to 66, did not.
The violence “affected the entire neighborhood — creating a climate of fear among ordinary residents,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said at a news conference.
The thirty suspects are accused of various crimes, some of which are charged with murder. Some defendants have pleaded not guilty, while others have yet to be charged.
Prosecutors say a 2018 murder began a chain of brutal retaliation between three groups known as the 200/8 Block, the 6 Block crew and the Own Every Dollar crew, also known as OED.
Authorities say the groups operate in the Inwood area and neighboring Washington Heights, the neighborhood where the Tony Award-winning musical and film “In The Heights” is set.
According to the indictment, members threatened rivals and discussed violent plans in text and social media messages. One defendant told an ally to hang out with one of their rivals, smoke weed with him and take him down, adding, “He’s going to have a bad time.” Make sure he doesn’t have a knife or something.’
In total, the groups are accused of eighteen shootings that killed a total of seven people.
The prosecutions will “have a tremendous impact” on neighborhood safety, NYPD Deputy Chief Brian Gill said at the news conference.