On the afternoon of last Wednesday, a robbery turned fatally violent in East Harlem, resulting in the tragic death of a 69-year-old woman, struck by gunfire while she stood on the street with her walker. Faisil McCants, an 18-year-old from New York, has been charged with Hobbs Act robbery and the use, carrying, and possession of a machine gun with regards to this incident, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
According to details in the U.S. Attorney's Office released complaint, McCants was involved in an armed confrontation with a drug dealer when the weapon was discharged. Fleeing the scene with stolen backpacks, it was alleged that McCants, armed with a machine gun, fired 15 rounds, tragically hitting the victim, Robin Wright, who was merely going about her daily life.
“As alleged, after robbing a drug dealer at gunpoint, Faisil McCants fired a machine gun in the middle of the day on the busy streets of New York City, killing another person,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated, denouncing the senseless violence which claimed the life of the unsuspecting bystander who was hailed as a mother, grandmother, and cherished member of the East Harlem community.
In an unfortunate twist of fate, having been transported to a hospital after the shooting, Wright was pronounced dead, claimed by the very streets she had walked for so many years. McCants now faces serious charges, including one count of Hobbs Act robbery which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a further count relating to the machine gun that comes with a mandatory minimum of 30 years and the possibility of life imprisonment, said to proceed consecutively with any other sentences imposed.
The collaborative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), NYPD, and various other agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were acknowledged by Mr. Clayton, emphasizing that without the dedication to service, stories like these may remain unchecked and without the pursuit of justice. “Faisil McCants allegedly armed himself with a machine gun during a robbery and opened fire in broad daylight, killing a 69-year-old mother, grandmother, and beloved East Harlem community member,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch stated, reflecting a shared determination to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms and hold their carriers accountable.
While the charges currently face McCants are but accusations at this point, the weight of federal justice hangs in the balance, the scales tipped by the diligent work of attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter and Kathryn Wheelock, spearheading the prosecution. The community, ripped apart by an act of violence, now looks to the justice system, a beacon in these tumultuous times, watched by eyes seeking closure and peace for the tragedy that unfolded on an August afternoon.
