20 charged in Bronx shootings that killed 1 and terrified neighbors, officials say

Twenty people have been indicted on a variety of charges in the Bronx for a spate of shootings that killed a man and terrified neighbors for years, New York City officials announced Thursday.

According to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, all 20 defendants were members of the “800 YGz” gang and have been linked to 15 shootings in and around the West Farms neighborhood from 2021 to 2024.

One shooting in 2022 killed 29-year-old Rafael Jimenez, while others injured additional victims and scared residents, officials said. Video released in the case shows the defendants allegedly firing shots in broad daylight across several public areas, including a schoolyard basketball court, a barbershop, a busy intersection, and over the heads of a family with three young kids.

Half of those indicted, including the man accused of shooting Jimenez, were teenagers when they committed their crimes, according to the DA’s office. The 73-count indictment includes charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon, attempted murder in the second degree, reckless endangerment, robbery and assault.

“We must provide more resources for young people, so they don’t choose gangs or guns,” Clark said in a statement. At a press conference about the arrests, she called the shootings “some of the most brazen, terrifying incidents of gunfire inflicted on a neighborhood.”

“It's almost like Groundhog Day,” Mayor Eric Adams said at the briefing. “It's the repeated violence by a small number of people who have a total disregard for the safety of New Yorkers.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said eight of the defendants had previously fired a gun. Among the 20 indicted, she said, there were 14 prior arrests for gun possession and 34 for robbery.

“This is what recidivism looks like in real life — not just statistics on a page but the same people committing the same violent acts again and again,” Tisch said.

The investigation spanned two years, and detectives recovered nine illegal guns, according to officials. Of those indicted, 17 have been arrested and three are still being sought, the DA’s office said. Those arraigned so far are due back in court on April 21.

NYPD data shows shootings and homicides are up considerably in the Bronx over roughly the past month, compared to the same period last year, but they are down overall in the borough year to date. Tisch said the spike in shootings has largely been driven by three Bronx precincts: the 40th, which includes Port Morris, Mott Haven and Melrose; the 46th, which includes Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope; and the 48th, which includes Belmont, East Tremont and West Farms. This week alone, two people were fatally shot in the 48th Precinct, police said.

“This surge in violence is 100% driven by gangs, and the Trinitarios specifically,” she said, referring to a predominantly Dominican gang. “We are working with the DA, laser-focused, on taking them down.”

In March, the NYPD sent 150 additional officers to commands in the Bronx, according to the department. Another 120 officers from mobile field forces also patrol the borough daily as part of the NYPD's zone strategy, and Tisch announced that 70 more specialized officers will now be deployed to areas where violence has been elevated.

Last week, Tisch joined prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office to announce the indictment of 16 people allegedly involved in 21 separate shootings between public housing crews in East Harlem.

Detectives used the NYPD’s gang database to identify suspects in both takedowns, officials said. The tracker has drawn criticism from some city councilmembers who say it is a form of racial profiling and are proposing abolishing it.