In the early morning hours of September 16, 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the pre-dawn quiet in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, ending the life of 20-year-old Donovan Frazier. The young man had just stepped out of Franklin's Finest Deli on Franklin Avenue after buying a ginger ale. It was approximately 4:25 a.m. when his life was cut short in a hail of bullets. The fatal shot entered his upper arm and tore through his torso, perforating his lungs and major blood vessels.
Frazier, a regular customer at the deli, stumbled back inside the store before collapsing. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, but his wounds proved to be mortal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a violent rivalry between street gangs. Authorities identified Donovan Frazier as an alleged member of the Lincoln Fam gang. The evidence, including surveillance footage from outside the deli, captured the moments leading up to and during the shooting. This footage, along with other intelligence, led investigators to Gymanni Carrington, a member of the rival Martense Beverly Bosses gang based in East Flatbush. Carrington was not subtle about his involvement in the murder. He reportedly claimed credit for the killing in calls recorded by the New York City Department of Corrections and in social media posts. Furthermore, he made admissions in emails to his mother shortly after the shooting.
In June 2018, a significant breakthrough came when Gymanni Carrington was indicted along with 17 other co-defendants in a sweeping takedown of the Martense Beverly Bosses street gang. The indictment charged the members with a range of violent crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to possess weapons, linked to eight separate shootings which resulted in two fatalities. Carrington, who was 22 years old at the time of sentencing, was ultimately convicted for the murder of Donovan Frazier. In July 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, bringing a final disposition to a case that highlighted the devastating impact of gang violence on the streets of Brooklyn. His co-defendants had previously pleaded guilty to various charges related to their involvement in the gang's criminal activities.
