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Published on January 23, 2025
Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Fatal Stabbing of Activist in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Faces 20 Years to LifeSource: Google Street View

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced a resolution to a case that has haunted the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. Brian Dowling, a 20-year-old local, has pleaded guilty to violently ending the life of activist Ryan Carson. In the early hours of October 2, 2023, Dowling, consumed by an inexplicable rage, aggressively attacked and fatally stabbed Carson. The confrontation and its brutal conclusion were captured by a nearby surveillance camera, leaving an indelible record of the crime.

This sudden and unprovoked act of violence, according to Gonzalez, demands the perpetrator's long-term removal from society. Caught on camera kicking scooters before the attack, Dowling turned on Carson, who was walking behind him, and resulted in a 20-years to life prison sentence offered by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. "Many of us still shudder when recalling the horrific video showing this defendant viciously attacking Ryan Carson and stabbing him to death for no reason at all," Gonzalez stated in a release. The sentencing is scheduled for February 19.

The case against Dowling unfolded as police gathered critical evidence, including the video and a search warrant that led to the recovery of several knives from Dowling's apartment, akin to the murder weapon hidden under greenery near the crime scene. Dowling, seemingly aware of the impending consequence, turned himself in later that week. Clothes matching those worn during the attack were also found in his possession.

It is the work of Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, that has brought the case to a somber resolution. "Ryan was passionate about making our city a better place and I hope that today’s outcome will bring his loved ones a small sense of closure," was obtained by Gonzalez's office, articulating a collective mourning for an individual so cruelly and pointlessly removed from the world he sought to improve.