22-YEAR-OLD BLOODS GANG MEMBER CONVICTED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING TWO PEOPLE, SERIOUSLY INJURING A THIRD PERSON AND ATTEMPTING TO MURDER OTHER PEOPLE
Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the conviction of a 22-year-old Bloods gang member on charges of murder, attempted murder and other offenses in connection with a shooting incident in August 2006 in which five people were targeted.
Gavin Murray, of 1998 Davidson Avenue, the Bronx, was found guilty on one count of Murder in the 2nd degree in the death of Leonard Crockett; one count of Manslaughter in the 1st degree in the death of Jason Semidey; one count of Assault in the 1st degree in the wounding of Donald Salters; two counts of Attempted Murder for shots fired at Aaron Wesctcott and Terell DeMorcy; and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd degree.
The jury found that Murray, acting-in-concert with an unapprehended accomplice, fired numerous rounds at the five victims with a .38 caliber revolver and 9MM semi-automatic pistol.
State Supreme Court Justice John Carter set sentencing for Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Part T2. Murray is facing a maximum term of in excess of 150 years to life imprisonment if consecutive sentences are imposed.
The shootings occurred on August 19, 2006 shortly after 6:30 in the evening at an entrance to the McKinley Houses on the corner of Tinton Avenue and East 161st Street. The three victims who were shot and killed or wounded were bystanders who happened to be in the vicinity of the two intended targets who fled and were not injured when the shots rang out. The jury heard testimony that this incident was in retaliation for another shooting that had occurred thirteen hours earlier outside a restaurant on East 161st Street and Gerard Avenue.
District Attorney Johnson said Murray’s arrest for the August 19th shootings on Tinton Avenue and East 161st Street, was the result of a ten-month long joint investigation with the NYPD’s Major Case Unit and Bronx Homicide Task Force and the 42nd Precinct Detective Squad into gang activity at the Forest - McKinley Housing Developments.
Murray is still awaiting trial on two other murder indictments for unrelated shootings that occurred on April 30, 2005 and June 23, 2006.
Assistant District Attorney Cristina Park of the Major Case / Gangs Prosecution Bureau is prosecuting this case.
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