A rash of violence, much of it believed to be gang-related, has erupted in Williamsburg, piercing what has been a calm and relatively peaceful summer in the neighborhood’s south side.
Over the past two weeks, roughly coinciding with the Feast of the Giglio, a street festival run by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, there have been two shootings, one of which resulted in the death of 22-year-old Richard Duran, and an assault involving machetes where the assailants are believed to be members of the Trinitarios gang.
In each of the cases, groups of young people clashed on the grounds of the festival and continued their arguments on blocks south of Metropolitan Avenue.
“Most of these events have been happening in the 90th Precinct,” said Captain Dennis Fulton of the 94th Precinct. “None of the events were connected to the feast itself.”
Police officials were unable to be reached for comment regarding the pattern of gang violence, though several community residents living on South 3rd Street said the level of violence this summer compared to previous summers was unusual. In the 90th Precinct, the week of July 14 to the 20 had seven reported robberies, four felonious assaults, and one rape. Last year, during the same week, there were seven robberies, six felony assaults, and one rape.
Community residents remain flummoxed over the reasons behind the violence and have begun planning a series of rallies and town hall meetings to discuss how to curb the rise in crime.
At a recent community meeting at the Williamsburg Seventh Day Adventist Church (319 Grand Street) hosted by the 90th Precinct Clergy Council, attorney Deanna Rodriguez, Chief of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Gang Bureau, addressed the machete case and asked more witnesses to come forward.
“I will be presenting the case and I have one witness. That’s it,” Rodriguez said. “I understand people are scared. We all have our histories. We are allowing gangs to come in and take over our streets and come in and take our children.”
Most of the community members who attended the meeting were there to show support for their friend Duran, who died July 21 from a shooting at the MTA bus terminal on Broadway and Roebling Street.
Many of Duran’s family members and friends have said to this paper that Duran was not a member of any of the local gangs that populate the area.
NYPD detectives are investigating whether the perpetrators allegedly involved in Duran’s death, including 18-year-old suspect Michael Torres, are members of a gang. Police officials are also investigating whether the shooting was connected to the machete assaults, for which 18-year-old Edwin Fermin has been arrested and indicted by the Brooklyn DA’s Gang Bureau.
Williamsburg residents, still fuming over Duran’s death, have planned a youth peace rally along with Councilmember Diana Reyna, clergy and community leaders this Saturday night at Continental Park. Assemblymember Vito Lopez and Rep. Nydia Velazquez have also placed calls to NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly’s office, alerting him to the neighborhood’s gang-related incidents. Flyers for the event remain posted in storefronts throughout the south side and community leaders are expecting a turnout of several thousand.
“Williamsburg has seen a resurgence in violence, which has recently taken the life of an innocent youth,” Reyna said. “As a community we must and will unite to eradicate that which is trying to divide and debilitate us.”
In the wake of these events, police have stepped up their foot patrols in the south side and brought in an “eye in the sky” police tower to monitor activity on Graham Avenue. Meanwhile, clergy leaders such as Father Joseph Fonti, the former pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, remained shocked and disappointed that the events happened during his church’s festival.
“The feast promotes a community spirit and unity,” Fonti said. “The gathering draws people that come out and embrace friendship. We haven’t had anything this disturbing happen since I have been here.”
The Youth Peace Rally will take place on August 2 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Continental Park on South 4th and Roebling Streets. For more information, call Councilmember Reyna’s office at 718-963-3141.
