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Two Brooklyn Men Charged With the Murder of One-Year-Old Davell Gardner Jnr.

The Brooklyn District Attorney has charged 18 men in a 63-count indictment, that includes four homicides.

Two Brooklyn men have been charged with the murder of one-year-old Davell Gardner Jr, almost a year after he was shot at a Bed-Stuy cookout.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced the charges Thursday as part of a 63-count indictment involving 18 alleged Hoolies gang members. Charges include murder, conspiracy to commit murder and to possess weapons, and attempted murder.

Between Dec. 2018 and today, the alleged gang members allegedly committed four murders and eight non-fatal shootings, and of their 13 victims, seven were innocent bystanders.

"Insidious gang violence as we allege in this case has taken and traumatized far too many lives, including many innocents such as Davell Gardner — a bright and loved baby boy with his whole life ahead of him," Gonzalez said.

Dashawn Austin, 25, and Akeem Artis, 24, were arrested and charged in connection with the murder, and the three other non-fatal shootings that night.

Raymond Bush Playground, where Davell Gardner Jnr. was shot. Photo: Google Maps.

Gonzalez added the indictment of the alleged Hoolies gang members, all aged between 19 and 33, was part of a larger investigation that saw 19 of their rival 900 gang members indicted in January for violent crimes, including some who were charged with multiple shootings and murder.

According to the DA's Office, the Hoolies gang is primarily based around the Roosevelt Houses in Bed-Stuy,  and is made up of members who also affiliate with several Blood, Crip and Folk gang sets, such as the MackBallers, Blood Stone Villains, Bloodhound Brims, Grape Street Crips, 823 Crips and Gangster Disciple Folk.

Hoolies gang members are allegedly in a gang war with rival 900 street gang.

Commissioner Shea said the men charged were willing to kill rivals or even fellow gang members, "and do so without regard for innocent people caught in the crossfire."

"In one case, the victim was a one-year-old boy, Davell Gardner," he said.

"This violence has to stop and cases like these are only made more solid when NYPD detectives and Assistant District Attorneys work hand-in-glove to build them from the beginning."

Gonzalez said 11 of the men were arrested on Wednesday and six were already in custody on other charges. One remains at large. Ten of the men are charged with second- degree murder and face up to 25 years to life in prison.




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