Two dozen individuals were busted in a massive Manhattan takedown that may have stopped a bloody six-year gang war, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the NYPD announced Thursday.
Police believe the suspects involved in the takedown are responsible for half of the shootings that have taken place during the six-year period in Inwood and Washington Heights, within the 33rd and 34th Precincts’ confines..
Standing at a podium surrounded by 30 confiscated firearms — including ghost guns — Bragg said much of the violence was tied to a years-long gang war that practically left bullets raining down over the upper portion of the island.
“These groups have allegedly committed fatal and horrific gun violence in Inwood and Washington Heights over the past six years,” Bragg said. “I want to be very clear: if you traffic illegal firearms into Manhattan, or use guns to commit violence against fellow Manhattanites, you will be held accountable. We will not accept this type of conduct, which tears at the fabric of our communities. I will continue to work in close coordination with all of our law enforcement partners to address the continued scourge of gun violence and ensure everyone in the borough can live in the safe neighborhood that they deserve.”
According to Bragg, 18 members of the “200/8 Block,” eight members of the “6 Block” crew, and four members of the “Own Every Dollar” (O.E.D.) were indicted on Nov. 14. In addition to the litany of shootings, prosecutors said many of the individuals cuffed were also responsible for trafficking guns into the Big Apple with the sole purpose of arming themselves against their rivals.
Both NYPD officials and Bragg say the gang war escalated some six years ago in 2018, after a 6 Block member allegedly murdered a rival 200 member. Since then, the groups are allegedly responsible for no less than 18 shootings, during which seven people were killed, including four innocent bystanders.
Police say members of 200 also committed two gunpoint robberies, one of which led to a homicide.
Taking the gangbangers off the streets, police officials said on Nov. 14, will have a profound impact on violent crime in the borough.
“It’s going to have a huge impact on Manhattan, north and parts of the Bronx,” NYPD Chief Brian Gill said. “We’ll continue to investigate and see what else we get from those cases.”
Despite the takedown, amNewYork Metro inquired if police are concerned that others will attempt to take over the newly freed-up turf.
“There’s a hierarchy and there’s a vacuum sometimes, but we’re putting such a dent in this. These guys are looking at some serious time, they committed some really heinous crimes. And whoever’s next, we’re gonna’ work on them,” Chief Gill said.
The Manhattan DA’s office showed text messages obtained from the alleged gangs that ordered crew members to kill their rivals.
“Please kill him bro Do him for me,” one 8block message read.
According to court documents, 200 member 24-year-old Blake Martinez allegedly told fellow crew member Luis Martinez, also 24, in 2019 that he had “just caught an opp,” which means he had located and shot a rival member.
Over the six-year period, the systematic gun violence continued well into 2024, including just last month when statements made on the record revealed that three 200 members participated in a fatal drive-by shooting on West 160th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, during which they shot at 6 Block members, but instead struck and killed a 46-year-old innocent bystander.
Police and Bragg say they hope these arrests will bring both the bloodshed and the gang war to an abrupt end.
The 18 defendants from the 200 crew were charged with second-degree conspiracy for coordinated violent conduct against 6 Block and other rivals; 11 of the 200 crew defendants were also booked for second-degree murder.
All eight 6 Block defendants are charged with fourth-degree conspiracy for possessing illegal firearms; one defendant was charged with second-degree murder; and five were charged with second-degree attempted murder for an October 2022 shooting incident during which a 19-year-old woman, who was eight months pregnant, was shot while she was seated in a parked car.
