In a recent court ruling involving incidents in Brownsville and Canarsie, two individuals identified as gang members were sentenced for their roles in an execution-style shooting that resulted in one fatality and two serious injuries. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office stated that the sentences are meant to serve as a deterrent to gang-related violence in the area. According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, “These lengthy sentences reflect the severity of this horrific crime and make clear that we will not allow violent gang rivalries to endanger lives and destabilize our communities."
On the morning of March 13, 2021, Culture Bermudez, 31, also known as CoachDaGhost, and Naquan Pruitt, 30, were reported to have been driving through areas associated with a rival gang, a practice referred to as "spinning," according to the press release. The two encountered their intended targets at the intersection of East 82nd Street and Farragut Road. Bermudez, seated in the backseat and armed with a handgun, along with another accomplice, exited the vehicle and opened fire. Bryan Sanon, 17, was fatally shot, while two others, aged 19 and 20, sustained serious injuries.
Following a trial, Bermudez received a sentence of 60 years to life in prison, while Pruitt was sentenced to 25 years to life, both by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, the two men were convicted earlier this month of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, in a trial that involved two separate juries.
Thorough investigative efforts led to the arrests of the suspects, with Naquan Pruitt taken into custody in Pennsylvania shortly after the incident and Culture Bermudez apprehended in Georgia several months later. Both were extradited to New York to stand trial. The District Attorney acknowledged the contributions of the KCDA Detective Investigators, the Digital Evidence Lab, and Homicide Paralegal Sarah-Jane Quashie in helping to resolve the case. Following their convictions, Bermudez and Pruitt are set to serve lengthy, potentially life-long prison sentences in accordance with the law’s response to gang-related violence.
