15 charged in Brooklyn gang takedown, prosecutors say

Prosecutors announced charges against 15 suspects in a major gang takedown in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors say many of the suspects, who are teenagers, are accused of terrorizing Coney Island and surrounding neighborhoods with a wave of gun violence.

Authorities say the group is linked to 16 shootings over 13 months.

Wild shootings were captured on surveillance video between two warring gangs in Coney Island, where 182 shots were fired from 33 guns in 16 separate shootings starting in January 2024.

“What is disturbing is how trigger-happy these young men appeared to be,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

The illegal firearms were on display Monday afternoon, where Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the 113-count indictment against 15 teenagers for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, among other charges.

“Behind much of this violence is a growing cycle of gang retaliation, amplified by social media and drill music against Folk Nation and the gang’s 7,080 members,” Tisch said.

In a video from April last year, four masked men were seen walking through homes in Flatbush Gardens looking for rivals for revenge, investigators said.

They spot two men, and that’s when shots ring out.

A 17-year-old boy was killed.

One of the suspected gang members seeking revenge was accidentally shot in the back of the head by one of his own, officials said.

“His friends see him fall to the ground and continue running, leaving him to die,” Gonzalez said.

Prosecutors say the feud spread outside of Coney Island and spread to ten different Brooklyn neighborhoods.

“All of these shootings are basically about the lack of respect for each other on social media. It’s not monetary. It’s not because of the drugs, it’s not because of the girls. It’s just strictly about them disrespecting each other by doing drills and rapping,” said New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

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