Additional Coverage:
- Man charged for role in Brooklyn bar shoot-out that killed three; video shows chaotic scene (nbcnews.com)
Federal Charges Filed in Deadly Brooklyn Bar Shooting; Chaotic Video Released
NEW YORK – Federal prosecutors have charged a man in connection with a gang-related shooting that erupted in a crowded Brooklyn bar this summer, leaving three people dead and ten others injured. Authorities on Wednesday also publicly released security camera footage capturing the chaotic gunfight.
The incident unfolded on August 17 inside the Taste of City Lounge in the Crown Heights neighborhood. The newly released video shows patrons scrambling for cover as at least 40 shots were fired from five guns, according to prosecutors.
Elijah Roy, 25, identified by prosecutors as a member of the 5-9 Brims, a subset of the Bloods gang, has been charged with violent assault in aid of racketeering and illegal possession of ammunition. He is accused of being among the shooters.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, the confrontation began around 3:30 a.m. when Marvin St. Louis, 19, an associate of Roy, allegedly taunted Jamel Childs, 35, a member of the rival Folk Nation Gangster Disciples.
The altercation rapidly escalated into a shootout. Both St.
Louis and Childs were killed in the exchange, along with Amadou Diallo, 27, who is believed to have been a bystander.
Prosecutors allege that Roy, after ducking for cover, fired two shots during the melee, though it remains unclear if his shots struck anyone.
Roy was arrested last week in North Carolina, reportedly carrying $7,000 in cash. He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon and ordered held without bail. His attorney, Mehdi Essmidi, did not respond to requests for comment.
The charges come amidst a period of reduced gun violence in New York City. Police statistics indicate the fewest number of shootings and shooting victims recorded across the city during the first nine months of the year.
Following the August tragedy, Mayor Eric Adams attended a vigil for the victims, stating that “what happened in the Taste of the City is not a reflection of our city.”