In the early hours of February 6, 2022, the life of 18-year-old Jayquan McKenley, an aspiring drill rapper known as Chii Wvttz, was cut short. The male teenager had been at a rented recording studio in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Around 2 a.m., as he sat in a parked car on Greene Avenue after leaving the studio, another vehicle approached. At least one person from the car opened fire, striking McKenley.
He was rushed to Woodhull Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to the chest a short time later.
McKenley's journey was marked by hardship from a young age. Growing up in the Bronx, he and his family moved between homeless shelters. He struggled in school, with numerous absences, and had several arrests, including one for gun possession. Despite these challenges, he pursued his passion for drill music, a subgenre of hip-hop known for its dark and often confrontational lyrics. His death drew a significant response, including from then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who tearfully described McKenley's life as a 'case study' of a system that had failed him and many other young people. A funeral for the young rapper was later held in Harlem.
For a considerable time, the case remained without an arrest. However, in December 2024, a breakthrough was announced. Federal prosecutors charged Paul Johnson, a 23-year-old Bronx man also known as 'PJ Glizzy,' with McKenley's murder. Authorities identified Johnson as a member of the 'Original Goonz' or 'OGz' street gang. The killing was allegedly the result of a dispute between rival gangs.
Johnson was indicted on multiple federal charges, including murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense. The most severe of these charges, murder in aid of racketeering, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and could potentially lead to the death penalty. Officials stated that the indictment was the result of a determined investigation and hoped the charges would bring some comfort to McKenley's family while sending a clear message against street violence.
