A Bushwick man will spend 25 years behind bars for the fatal shooting of Malik Russell in 2019, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Thursday.
Darrien Weekes, 26, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare on Aug. 15 following his guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter in April. In addition to the prison term, Weekes will serve five years of post-release supervision.
Weekes’ co-defendant Oliver Kinard, 27, pleaded guilty to third-degree hindering prosecution in September 2023 and received a conditional discharge for his role in the fatal shooting occurred on June 1, 2019, at approximately 3:41 a.m. on Chauncey Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
According to evidence presented in court, 29-year-old Malik Russell was walking alone when he met Weekes and Kinard, who were acquaintances.
After shaking hands with the two men, Weekes suddenly pulled out a gun and fired three shots at Russell, striking him once in the upper chest. According to prosecutors, Weekes then chased Russell into the street before taking his hat and leaving him wounded on the sidewalk near a pile of garbage bag.
The shooting was captured on video surveillance, which captured Weekes approaching and leaving the scene. He was later arrested on June 10, 2019.
Russell was transported to Interfaith Medical Center following the shooting, where he was pronounced dead.
“Today’s sentence ensures that this defendant will spend many years behind bars for a senseless and deadly act of gun violence,” Gonzalez said. “My thoughts are with Malik Russell’s loved ones as they continue to grieve his loss.”
