Philadelphia officials tout disbandment of gang linked to deadly shootings – NBC10 Philadelphia

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner joined Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel on Monday to provide an update on arrests and charges stemming from the city's deadly shootings in 2021 and 2022 — and the meeting turned into a sort of speech about gang violence in Philadelphia.

The event was expected to announce the arrests of eight people – including seven members of the Big Naddy Gang, a group that operated in the Strawberry Mansion community – who Krasner said were responsible for at least four fatal shootings as well as several unrelated shootings. mortals.

“BNG is a thing of the past. It's over,” the prosecutor said, touting the arrests.

Who was BNG?

The group, Krasner explained, grew after the death of Namir Johnson, who was murdered in 2021. Although that crime was prosecuted, Assistant District Attorney Joe Lanuti of the task force of the prosecutor on gun violence, said these individuals used Johnson's death as a reason to commit additional crimes.

“This group then committed a series of armed violence unrelated to Nadir's death, even though they used Nadir as justification for their series of armed violence,” Lanuti said.

During the day, authorities announced that a grand jury had determined that eight people: Jamir Brunson-Gans, 21, Dontae Sutton, 20, Khalil Henry, 20, Elijah Soto, 19, Nakye Williams, 19-year-old Haneef Davis, 19-year-old Jahlil Williams. , 25, and Rahmeir Hayes, 22 – were involved in the murder of four people and were involved in shootings in which eight people were injured.

The eight suspects are charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and other offenses.

Additionally, officials said, all but one of those individuals were members of the Big Naddy Gang.

Lanuti said the shootings were caused by a variety of crimes ranging from carjacking to murder-for-hire. But, he added, while the crimes may have involved money or vehicles, what members of this gang desperately wanted was notoriety.

“They wanted to have a reputation for being violent and dangerous,” Lanuti said.

Shootings linked to BNG members

Authorities said members of the Big Naddy Gang were linked to the killings of at least four people.

In a statement about the charges, the district attorney's office said Jahlil Williams, Sutton, Brunson-Gans, Soto, Nakye Williams, Henry and Davis allegedly murdered Chaundarah Jones, 24, a mother of two, near the intersection of 33rd and Diamond streets on September 29, 2021.

Investigators believe the incident – ​​in which two other women were injured – was a planned killing and that the shooters “targeted the wrong people.”

Prior to this incident, officials say, Soto, Sutton, Henry and Hayes were involved in the murder of Jerrick Jenkins, 33, who was killed on September 18, 2021 during an incident along the 2900 block of West York Street.

Weeks before this incident, officials allege that Brunson-Gans, Soto and Sutton were involved in the murder of Jordan Murray, 19, which occurred on September 6, 2021 in the 2200 block of West Huntingdon Street.

Just a day before Murray's killing, officials say, Brunson-Gans and Sutton were also involved in the attempted murder of an individual who was shot multiple times along the 3100 block of North Judson Street.

Officials also allege that Nakye Williams and Davis were involved in the shooting of another individual who was leaving a candlelight vigil for a young homicide victim on the evening of October 10, 2021 in the 2600 block of North 22nd Street .

Finally, law enforcement officials say Nakye Williams killed 42-year-old Jemeel McCoy during a carjacking on Jan. 2, 2022, near the 2500 block of North 28th Street.

Philadelphia has 'well over a hundred' gangs

While discussing gang violence in the city, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Bethel spoke about the difficulty of breaking up groups like the Big Naddy Gang.

In fact, Bethel said, he thinks the city has “well over a hundred” of what he calls gangs or neighborhood groups. He said that unlike well-known bands like the Bloods and the Crips in Los Angeles, California, Philadelphia bands tend to be “fractured” and smaller.

He explained that members of these gangs do this in an attempt to create groups that can work together but appear separate in order to avoid getting caught.

“We have a number of groups in the city and we work with all of our departments and agencies to address a multitude of them. But some of them are much more violent than others,” Bethel said .

Krasner also discussed his office's efforts to combat gang violence, noting that groups in Philadelphia tend to be smaller and tied to proximity and neighborhood, not dispersed or tied to groups in d 'other cities.

“This work matters”

In announcing these charges, Commissioner Bethel highlighted the impact the disbandment of this gang could have on the Strawberry Mansion community where the Big Naddy Gang operated.

“This work is important. It shows individuals in this community that they matter,” Bethel said. “The long-term impact of these arrests is significant.”

He also said the community patrolled by the 22nd Police District is one of the most violent areas in the city.

Still, he noted, this year the city has seen a decrease in gun violence.

“We’re moving in a better direction,” Bethel said. “But… we’re not taking our foot off the gas.”

As of Monday, according to statistics from the Philadelphia Police Department, the city has recorded 109 homicides so far in 2024. That's a 38% drop from the same period last year.

In fact, if the trend continues, Krasner said the city could be on track to finish the year with half the total number of murders it saw in 2021.

“Obviously, we're all hoping for that and better than that. We're all hoping for no homicides,” Krasner said. “But there’s a chance it could happen.”