Two men have been charged in connection with the heartbreaking shooting of a 1-year-old boy in Brooklyn, New York, last year, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday.
The little boy, Davell Gardner, was tragically killed last July while sitting in his stroller on a sidewalk in front of Raymond Bush Playground in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. His death shook the city and highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence.
Now, nearly a year later, two suspects, 25-year-old Dashawn Austin and 24-year-old Akeem Artis, have been arrested and face charges for their alleged roles in the shooting. Both men are said to be part of a street gang known as the Hoolies. Prosecutors believe the violence stemmed from a bitter gang rivalry and an act of retaliation.
According to the indictment, on July 12, 2020, Artis drove a car to the playground, carrying Austin and another unnamed shooter. The two men reportedly got out and fired into a crowd that had gathered for a family cookout. Four people were hit by the gunfire, including little Davell. Tragically, the baby didn’t survive, but the other three victims, who were innocent bystanders, pulled through.
This isn’t the only crime tied to the Hoolies gang. Prosecutors revealed that Austin and Artis are part of a larger 63-count indictment involving 18 alleged gang members. These charges cover multiple crimes, including four murders and eight non-fatal shootings that happened between May 2018 and September 2020. Shockingly, seven of their 13 known victims were innocent people who had no connection to gang violence.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called Davell’s death a heartbreaking example of the senseless violence that gangs inflict on communities. “Davell Gardner was a bright and loved baby boy with his whole life ahead of him,” Gonzalez said. “This insidious gang violence has taken and traumatized far too many lives.”
New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea echoed these sentiments, emphasizing how reckless and dangerous these gang members were. “They were willing to kill without caring about the innocent people caught in the crossfire,” Shea said. He praised the teamwork between the NYPD and prosecutors in building a strong case.
This case is a grim reminder of how gun violence can shatter lives and communities. Davell’s story is a call for action to end this cycle of violence and protect innocent lives.
