In July 2020, a tragedy occurred outside Brooklyn’s Raymond Bush Playground. A young child, Davell Gardner, was caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting while attending a cookout. Just a year after the incident, two men, Dashawn Austin and Akeem Artis, have been arrested and charged with Davell’s death, as well as other crimes related to gang activity.
Both Austin and Artis are part of a local gang called the Hoolies, and the shooting was a result of gang rivalry and retaliation. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, Artis was the driver of the car from which Austin and another shooter got out and began firing into the crowd. Four people were shot in total, including baby Davell, who tragically did not survive. The other victims, all innocent bystanders, survived the attack.
In addition to being charged with Davell’s death, Austin and Artis are also among 18 people facing a 63-count indictment related to gang violence. The charges include murder, weapons violations, and shootings that took place between 2018 and 2020. During this time, the gang allegedly committed multiple murders and non-fatal shootings, many of which involved innocent victims, with no connection to the gang.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez spoke out about the case, calling the violence “insidious” and a source of immense trauma for the community, especially for the victims who were completely innocent, like Davell. He added that gang violence had already taken too many lives, and it needed to stop.
New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea also condemned the violence, emphasizing how gang members seemed to show no regard for the lives of innocent people. He highlighted the importance of the collaboration between the NYPD detectives and Assistant District Attorneys to build strong cases and seek justice for victims.
