On the night of April 29, 2022, Christopher Bryant, a 30-year-old man, was fatally shot near the intersection of Madison Avenue and Grand Street in Albany, New York. Police responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 11:45 p.m. and found Bryant at the scene with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the location. The investigation into his death was immediately launched as a homicide.
The subsequent investigation revealed a plot rooted in gang affiliations and retribution.
Prosecutors stated that Christopher Bryant, identified as a member of the Bloods street gang, was targeted because he had been labeling one of two brothers, Justin Walker, as a 'snitch'. Walker and his brother, Jordan McKenzie, also alleged members of the Bloods, were accused of orchestrating the murder. They reportedly enlisted a then 17-year-old, Roland Riggins, to carry out the killing. On the night of the murder, McKenzie and Walker allegedly drove in separate cars to the area of the shooting. It is believed that McKenzie circled the block to identify Bryant for Riggins, who then approached and shot Bryant in the head outside a bodega.
The investigation led to the arrests of Riggins, McKenzie, and Walker. Roland Riggins, who was 19 at the time of sentencing, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. Following a jury trial, Justin Walker, 28, and Jordan McKenzie, 24, were convicted of second-degree murder and conspiracy for their roles in arranging the killing. Walker was sentenced to 30 and a half years to life in prison, while McKenzie received a sentence of 23 years to life. Prosecutors said the brothers recruited Riggins after Bryant began sharing documents that showed Walker had previously served as an informant for the Albany police in 2015.
