New York City cops presented various photos detailing the aftermath of a war between two Brownsville-based gangs, WOOO and CHOO, after 32 members of the two gangs were arrested for 19 shootings and indicted on 106 criminal counts on Tuesday.
Two of the near-two-dozen shootings were fatal, while another resulted in a three-year-old girl getting shot. One of the photos presented by authorities included the girl's bloodied shirt, and additional innocent bystanders were injured during the various shootings, including two senior citizens. In another shooting, a 22-year-old cabbie was shot while listening to a rival group's music. According to authorities, both gangs were responsible for 14 injuries and 27 crimes between 2020 and 2022.
Law enforcement believes the war between the WOOO and CHOO gangs started over the murder of WOOO member Shamel Boomer in the summer of 2020. While it was another gang that killed Boomer, the CHOO gang openly celebrated his passing. The police pointed to multiple social media posts between the two gangs, which show various members issuing threats, as well as surveillance footage catching members in the act of various shootings.
"These are the trigger-pullers. These are that small group of individuals as reckless as we’ve ever seen," said Deputy Chief Jason Savino during a press conference. "You witnessed the videos. It paints a picture. These gangs would shoot at their opposition in the vicinity of high schools, day-care centers, MTA buses and densely and highly populated areas with no regard for anybody in the area."
Both gangs reportedly have multiple subsets and originate from several public-housing complexes in Brownsville. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez claimed the two gangs have "terrorized" Brownsville while celebrating the arrests.
"Removing these individuals from our community will have the desired impact of reducing…trigger pullers from our neighborhoods, making Brownsville a safer place to live with many, many hard-working residents and families who call Brownsville home," Gonzalez said. "The shootings and the disregard for human life by these gang members didn’t just cost the lives of fellow rival gang members, but also terrorized law-abiding citizens and residents of our community."
The arrested suspects were reportedly arraigned on Tuesday. Two CHOO members have received murder charges for killing two WOOO members. Of the 32 arrests, 13 suspects are alleged WOOO members and 19 suspects are alleged CHOO members.
Look above for photos of the arrested suspects.
Source: NY Post
