In a significant crackdown on gang violence in South Brooklyn, 14 alleged members of the 59 Brims/Bloodhound Brims street gang have been charged with a series of violent crimes, including murder and multiple shootings. According to a statement from Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, these individuals are implicated in 19 shooting incidents that left one rival gang member dead and wounded nine others, which included innocent bystanders.
Brooklyn DA Gonzalez emphasized the scale of the violence, stating, "Gun violence hit a record low last year because of strategic enforcement and gang takedowns like today’s, which removed 14 alleged shooters responsible for a staggering level of violence in Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay." NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch echoed this sentiment, highlighting the joint efforts with the DA’s office that saw the removal of 18 illegal firearms from Brooklyn streets, as detailed by Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. The defendants, now under indictment for a 129-count case, are answering to charges such as murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and weapon possession.
The string of violence began back in February 2021, where the investigation focused on violent activities linked to the 59 Brims and Bloodhound Brims, known sets of the Bloods gang. The inquiry revealed a heated rivalry with groups such as Folk Nation, FNO, WOOO, and GWAY — subsets of the Gorilla Stone Bloods, a rivalry that only intensified following the homicide of a Bloodhound Brim member outside his high school in Midwood in 2021. The indictment details how these gang members used music videos, social media, and text messages to signal their intentions against rival groups, with one text message exchange criticizing failed attempts at shootings that did not result in "critical condition" injuries.
Among the allegations, it is said that defendant Karon Evans ventured into Folk territory shortly after the previously mentioned homicide and shot a rival gang member multiple times, leading to a lacerated liver for the victim who survived the attack. In a separate incident, on June 23, 2023, defendant Omogoriola Omotosho fired at a rival gang member near a sneaker store in Bay Ridge, inadvertently injuring two innocent bystanders. The long-term investigation, resulting in this extensive indictment, was carried out by the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division, Brooklyn South Homicide Squad, and the DA’s Office’s Detective Investigators, with Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Stern, Radiyah Dobre, and Douglas Steinberg prosecuting the case.
