20 alleged gang members indicted for Bronx shootings
Twenty alleged gang members have been charged after a yearslong investigation into over a dozen shootings in New York City.
The 73-count indictment announced Thursday by the NYPD and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark says the 800 YGZ gang was behind at least 14 separate shootings in the West Farms section of the Bronx since 2021.
Alleged 800 YGZ members charged in Bronx neighborhood shootings
Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Clark announced charges related to the shootings, ranging from robbery to murder, against the alleged gang members.
"These defendants allegedly shot at rival gangs without any regard for the innocent bystanders," Clark said. "Today is a way that we are holding these people accountable for causing the harm and the violence in our community."
One shooting sent school children running for cover on a playground as bullets flew across basketball courts on April 1, 2022. A barbershop turned into a battlefield in the middle of the day on March 1, 2024.
Police recovered nine firearms during the arrests. More than half of the weapons were linked to 24 additional shootings in the city, officials said.
"It's the repeated violence by a small number of people who have a total disregard for the safety of New Yorkers," Adams said.
Most of the 20 suspects were minors at the time of the shootings. Between them, police said the suspects have 14 prior arrests for weapons possession, eight for attempted murder or reckless endangerment and 34 for robbery.
"This is what recidivism looks like in real life," Tisch said
Of the alleged gang members indicted in the case, 10 are already incarcerated and three remain at-large, according to the DA.
A disconnect between NYPD and the Bronx DA's office
Thursday was the police commissioner's first public appearance with Clark since earlier in the week slamming the borough's rising grand theft auto rate.
"If you're interested in stealing a car, the absolute best place to do it in New York City is in the Bronx. Why? Because chances are good that you'll only be charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property and then sent on your way," Tisch said on Tuesday.
Clark on Thursday did not respond to CBS News New York's question about a disconnect between her office and the NYPD.
"I'm wondering where the disconnect is between what police are charging and what your office is prosecuting," CBS News New York's Ali Bauman asked her.
"First, we want to talk about on this topic. We're going to talk on this topic," Clark said.
"Well, about recidivism," Bauman said.
"But does anybody else have a question on topic here?" Clark said.
A spokesperson for the DA previously told us, "There is a difference between what the police charge at arrest and what we can prove in court."
Tisch said she will be sending 120 additional officers to the Bronx every day and deploying an additional 70 specialized officers to address a recent uptick in violence in the borough.
