In the late afternoon of April 30, 2018, a burst of gunfire shattered the daylight on a street in Mount Vernon, New York, leaving a man dead and a community in shock. The victim was 37-year-old Tasheen Tigre Williams, a Black / African American male who was fatally shot outside of his home on Union Avenue. The brazen attack occurred as a nearby school was dismissing its students for the day, adding a layer of horror to the senseless violence.
The investigation into Williams's death would
eventually uncover a narrative of gang-related retribution. Authorities identified James Bazemore, also known as 'TJ,' as the man who stalked and ultimately shot Tasheen Williams. Another man, Jared El Mujaahid, was accused of supplying Bazemore with the firearm used in the killing. Both men were alleged to be members of a gang known as 'Big Paper,' which was involved in narcotics distribution and other criminal activities in the Mount Vernon area. Prosecutors believe Williams was targeted because he was considered a rival to the gang.
In May 2022, a federal indictment was unsealed, charging James Bazemore with murder in aid of racketeering and other offenses. If convicted on the murder charge, he faces a potential life sentence in prison. Jared El Mujaahid was also charged with racketeering conspiracy and aiding and abetting the assault by providing the murder weapon. At the time of the indictment, Bazemore was already in federal custody on unrelated charges, stemming from a loaded gun being found in his home in February 2020. Mujaahid was also incarcerated, serving a 70-month sentence for gun trafficking. The federal charges brought against Bazemore and Mujaahid were part of a larger effort to dismantle the 'Big Paper' gang and quell the violence associated with its activities.
