A Gravesend man may spend the rest of his days behind bars for brutally shooting another man to death during an anti-gun-violence event in a neighborhood park, Brooklyn’s top prosecutor said.
A judge on Wednesday sentenced 36-year-old Raheem Dunaway to 25 years to life in prison for gunning down 30-year-old Daquan Spencer on Aug. 21, 2016 in Scarangella Park amidst the tribute to gun-violence victims — which made the murder particularly heinous, according to District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
“This was a completely brazen and senseless murder of an innocent man,” he said. “That it took place during an event meant to honor victims of gun violence, and deter further fatalities, is heartbreaking.”
Dunaway began confronting and arguing with event attendees before randomly approaching Spencer — who suck around in the meadow after celebrating his son’s birthday there earlier in the day — and firing 20 bullets at him around 1:30 am, according to prosecutors, who said the anti-gun-violence event lasted until the early morning hours.
Seventeen of those bullets hit Spencer, in his head, neck, back, chest, stomach, legs, and buttocks, and Dunaway continued to fire at the victim even after he fell to his knees and tried to crawl away, prosecutors said.
Following the shooting, Dunaway walked to a vehicle waiting nearby and fled, according to trial testimony. Officers arrested him two-and-a-half months later on Nov. 10 in South Carolina, according to prosecutors, who identified him as the shooter with help from witnesses who gave statements and picked him out in a police lineup.
Dunaway’s sentencing followed his December conviction of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
