By The newspaper
May 31, 2024, 11:01 AM EDT
Eighteen young people, some of them minors, were arrested on suspicion of being linked to gang shootings that have left innocent bystanders as victims in Brooklyn (NYC).
The nearly 20 gang members were arrested on all types of charges, including murder and weapons possession. “Some of them were only 16, 15 or 14 years old,” said Brooklyn prosecutor Eric González, highlighting the results of a three-year investigation, since the summer of 2021.
Gang clashes are often linked to a battle for turf and suspects often incriminate themselves by bragging and posting about their crimes on social media. “People are posting as much as they can. They are very shameless with their posts. And if that’s the case, we’re ready to take advantage of it,” said NYPD Chief Jason Savino.
“These guys woke up every day with one goal: to terrorize the opposing gangs.”
Detectives connected these defendants to 10 shootings that injured 10 people, eight of whom were innocent bystanders. Their names were not revealed. “These guys woke up every day with one goal: to terrorize opposing gangs,” said NYPD Deputy Inspector Craig Edelman.
Members of the Brooklyn community have expressed concern about the increasing number of shootings. “There is a lot of killing here. Brothers are killing each other and that has to stop. It has to stop,” she repeatedly told ABC News a Bed-Stuy resident.
Armed and domestic violence, gangs, bullying, sexual abuse and pressure on social networks are some of the many challenges that teenagers face in New York. This week, an ex-convict on parole was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars for shooting and killing an innocent 16-year-old boy because the teen’s older brother belonged to a rival gang in Brooklyn, New York. according to the prosecution.
As a way to avoid these risks, New York is offering free therapy to adolescents ages 13 to 17 virtually, through the company Talkspace, which partnered with the New York City Department of Health (DOH).
In addition, the New York government is moving forward to regulate the privacy and access of minors to social networks.
Earlier this year, the New York City mayor declared “toxic” and then filed a formal complaint against five of the largest social media platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube, arguing that “they are contributing to a crisis of mental health among minors nationwide.
Previously, in October, the New York State Attorney’s Office joined a national lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta, alleging that it “has profited from children’s pain by intentionally designing its platforms with manipulative features that cause children to become addicted to their platforms and at the same time reduce their self-esteem. “Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and must be held accountable.”
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