On a warm summer evening in Brooklyn, New York, the life of 21-year-old Chynna Battle was tragically cut short. On July 12, 2017, Chynna was at a barbecue in the courtyard of the Stuyvesant Gardens Houses on Gates Avenue when gunfire erupted. She was one of about 20 people present when two men entered the courtyard and began shooting. Chynna was struck in the head and another woman, 29-year-old Shaqwanda Staley, was shot in the back. Both women, who were mothers to young daughters, were killed.
Investigators later determined that neither Chynna nor Shaqwanda were the intended targets of the shooting. The gunmen had reportedly come to the courtyard seeking retaliation for a previous incident.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led police to identify two suspects: Anthony Alexander and Nazir 'Stinky' Saunders. Witnesses reported hearing the nickname 'Stinky' at the scene, which helped authorities to identify Saunders. It was determined that Saunders fired a. 45 caliber handgun six times, while Alexander fired a. 380 caliber handgun twice. Following the shooting, both men fled the state. Their run from the law came to an end on October 31, 2017, when they were apprehended in South Carolina.
Anthony Alexander, who was 19 at the time of his conviction, and Nazir Saunders, then 22, were charged with two counts of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Their trial concluded in May 2019, with a jury finding them guilty on all counts. In June 2019, both men were sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for their roles in the senseless deaths of Chynna Battle and Shaqwanda Staley. The convictions and lengthy sentences brought a measure of justice to the grieving families and community, who mourned the loss of two young mothers in an act of violence that missed its intended mark but claimed innocent lives.
