A man who fatally shot one man and injured several other people in a trio of apparently random shootings in Encanto, Bay Terraces and Spring Valley was convicted this week of charges that include murder and attempted murder.
Jaime Gonzalez, 24, opened fire on seven separate victims during a shooting spree that unfolded on the night of Jan. 27, 2023, over the course of just over an hour, according to prosecutors.
Police said the victims were targeted at random, with Gonzalez driving up to each group, getting out of his car and opening fire.
Gonzalez, who remains in custody without bail, is set to be sentenced next month.
Prosecutors said Gonzalez first opened fire on a man on Dovecrest Court in Spring Valley at around 8 p.m. Gonzalez drove up to the man and opened fire from about 10 yards away, but the bullet missed the victim and struck a house, according to testimony.
About 20 minutes later, prosecutors said Gonzalez shot at a group of teenage boys outside the 62nd Street trolley station.
Metropolitan Transit System surveillance footage captured the shooter’s vehicle driving past the boys as they walked along Akins Avenue. The car then made a U-turn, its driver got out and started shooting at the teens, who took off running. Three of the boys — all of whom where 15 years at the time — were wounded by gunfire, according to testimony.