Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced that five defendants have been indicted for a violent shooting spree over two days in late August. The defendants, ranging in age from 14 to 29, are variously charged in a 25-count indictment with conspiracy, attempted murder, weapon possession and other crimes for shootings that injured a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old. The defendants are reputed members of the Trinitarios street gang.
District Attorney Katz said: “The ages of the shooters and victims in this case are particularly troubling. As alleged, two teens were injured when they were shot by a 16-year-old as they rode on scooters in a senseless act of gang violence. Then in an act of retribution, a bullet was shot into the apartment building vestibule where the 16-year-old defendant lived. Miraculously no one else was injured in these shooting events. I thank the members of my Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau and our partners at the NYPD for investigating and apprehending these defendants before anyone else was hurt.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “These defendants, some as young as 14 years old and alleged members of the Trinitarios gang, turned Corona into a violent playground during a two-day shooting spree. As they caused chaos in our communities, members of the NYPD ran towards the danger to provide life-saving care to two teenage victims and to prevent further harm. The men and women of the NYPD work tirelessly to take down these violent gangs and to protect New Yorkers. I thank them and the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this case.”
A 16-year-old defendant, from Corona, was arraigned Tuesday on three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, two counts of attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. He faces up to 25 years in prison, if convicted. Queens Supreme Court Justice Seth Steed ordered him to return to court November 17.
A 14-year-old, from Elmhurst, was arraigned October 9 on charges of conspiracy in the second degree and fourth degrees, attempted murder in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds. He faces up to 10 years in prison, if convicted. Queens Criminal Court Justice Seth Steed on Monday ordered the defendant to return to court November 19.
Rafael Lopez, 26, of Corona was arraigned October 2 on charges of conspiracy in the first, second degree, third and fourth degrees, attempted murder in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds. He faces a potential maximum of life in prison, if convicted.
Daquan Coloma, 29, of Corona, was arraigned October 2 on charges of conspiracy in the first, second, third and fourth degrees. His brother, Shaquan Coloma, 29, of Corona, was arraigned October 5 on the same charges. They also face a maximum of life in prison, if convicted.
Queens Criminal Court Justice John Zoll ordered defendant Lopez to return to court November 4 and defendants Shaquan Coloma and Daquan Coloma to return to court October 27.
DA Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on August 28, at approximately 8:28 p.m., the 16-year-old defendant and other individuals were standing on the sidewalk in front of 103-11 39th Avenue in Corona. Two teens, ages 13 and 16, approached on electric scooters.
The 16-year-old defendant approached the victims and fired twice, striking the 13-year-old in the back and the 16-year-old in the ankle. NYPD officers on foot patrol heard the shots and discovered the younger victim lying in the street bleeding. EMS transported both victims to Elmhurst hospital, where doctors treated the 13-year-old for collapsed lungs. The 16-year-old was found nearby, with a bullet fragment in his shoe.
Two shell casings and one 9 mm live cartridge was recovered from the scene.
Approximately two hours later, at 10:30 p.m., as retribution for the earlier shooting, Rafael Lopez, who was allegedly acting in concert with Shaquan and Daquan Coloma, and the 14-year-old defendant, threw a brick through an apartment building window, breaking it, on 111th Street in Corona where the 16-year-old defendant lived. His mother was home at the time. They left the scene.
The next day, at approximately 12:10 a.m., Lopez drove the 14-year-old defendant back to 111th Street in Corona on a red moped, and the teen allegedly fired a single shot into the vestibule of the apartment building.
On September 4, the 16-year-old defendant and others were in a Corona apartment building without permission. A building employee alerted police who went into a stairwell and allegedly observed a bulge in the defendant’s pants. The defendant took off running and was eventually apprehended. Officers recovered a 9 mm semiautomatic firearm loaded with nine rounds of 9 mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber in the defendant’s waistband.
A black duffel bag recovered from the stairwell contained a magazine loaded with seven rounds of 9 mm ammunition, with the capacity to hold an excess of 25 rounds of ammunition. Ballistics testing linked the ammunition to shell casings recovered from shootings 39th Avenue on August 28.
Members of the NYPD 110th and 115th Detective Squads with assistance of the NYPD Warrants Squad located and apprehended the remaining defendants.
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