Two Convicted Felons Charged With Possession of Ammunition in Connection With Broad Daylight Shooting in Brooklyn

Defendants Allegedly Engaged in a Midday Shootout in a Brooklyn Bodega 

A criminal complaint was unsealed charging Jonathan Arboleda and Wilson Martinez with being felons in possession of ammunition relating to a July 21, 2026 gunfight in the East New York section of Brooklyn.  Martinez was arrested and made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.  Arboleda is currently in state custody at Rikers Island and will be arraigned at a later date.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.

“As alleged, these defendants are convicted felons who engaged in a dangerous gunfight in a Brooklyn bodega in broad daylight, endangering the lives of numerous citizens,” said United States Attorney Nocella.  “Both defendants have multiple prior felony convictions.  Despite repeated encounters with our criminal justice system, each defendant chose to return to the streets to engage in a brazen act of violence.  This arrests demonstrate our continued commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to combat gun violence and hold accountable those who illegally possess firearms and ammunition and endanger our communities.”

“The shootout at the Brooklyn bodega was a blatant act of violence allegedly carried out by two convicted felons whose actions created an immediate and unacceptable threat to the community.  This kind of violent criminal behavior is exactly why the FBI remains firmly committed to removing dangerous offenders from our streets and protecting the American public,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

“As alleged in the complaint, Jonathan Arboleda and Wilson Martinez recklessly put countless lives at risk when they opened fire on each other in broad daylight inside a Brooklyn bodega,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “The NYPD remains focused on working with our law enforcement partners to go after guns and hold the perpetrators of gun violence accountable. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and our NYPD officers for their diligent work to take these criminals off our streets.”

As alleged in the criminal complaint and other court filings, on July 21, 2026, at approximately 1:30pm, Martinez entered a bodega store in East New York and immediately pulled out a firearm and started shooting at Arboleda from close range.  Surveillance video footage shows Martinez pulling a gun from his waistband and opening fire while bodega employees were within feet of him and in the line of fire of his 9mm bullets.  Arboleda then fired shots back at Martinez from the back area of the bodega and ran into the middle of a crowded street while raising his firearm and pointing it at Martinez’s car as it drove away.  Arboleda was apprehended at the scene bleeding from gunshot wounds to his right arm and abdomen.  

Law enforcement recovered multiple spent shell casings and a live round of ammunition on the floor of the bodega.  Both defendants have prior felony convictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms or ammunition.  

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  As part of the program, U.S. Attorney’s Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.