In a recent announcement by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., 19-year-old Jiniye Hooks has been sentenced to a 20-year-to-life term in state prison for a 2022 East Harlem shooting that resulted in the death of 14-year-old Justin Streeter and the wounding of a 15-year-old boy.
On a July afternoon, a confrontation led to Hooks discharging a firearm multiple times on two boys who had just left a local deli, the DA Bragg described the incident as a horrific act of gun violence, and in their effort to escape, Hooks's bullet struck Streeter in the back of the head while the second teen was shot in the leg yet managed to find refuge down the street, the life of the 14-year-old tragically ending at a hospital soon after; Hooks pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in the Second Degree and one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree on March 5, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
"A 14-year-old child lost his life due to this horrific act of gun violence," District Attorney Bragg stated. "Mr. Streeter was beloved not only by his family, but his entire community. He had a bright future ahead of him that was tragically taken away and his loved ones are continuing to grieve his loss. There is nothing we can do to undo the pain they are experiencing, but I hope this lengthy prison sentence allows them to move forward and end this difficult chapter," as noted by the District Attorney's Office.
Assistant D.A.s Michael McIntosh and Matthew Sears oversaw the prosecution of the case, with support from other key legal and law enforcement officials, among them Senior Trial Counsel Peter Casolaro and Supervising Major Case Analyst Sasha Hodson, the activities and coordination of various NYPD teams and officers were especially pronounced in the success of bringing Hooks to justice, and a special acknowledgment went to Detectives Edward Stackpole, Michael Jeanbart, and Jean Francisco, as well as other critical members of the Homicide and Shooting Enhancement Team.
