In the early morning hours of June 23, 2017, a brutal act of violence cut short the life of 27-year-old Devon Hannibal, a resident of Brooklyn, New York. Hannibal and his girlfriend, 23-year-old Christina Stubbs, were leaving a nightclub on Linden Boulevard when they were ambushed in what has been described as an execution-style double homicide. The couple had just entered Hannibal's red Dodge Durango when two men opened fire.
The attack was swift and merciless.
Hannibal was struck by 15 bullets, while Stubbs was hit by a single stray round. Both were pronounced dead at the scene inside the vehicle. Investigators quickly determined that Hannibal was the intended target of the shooting. The driver's side window of the SUV was shattered by the barrage of bullets, indicating a focused assault on him.
The investigation into the murders led to the arrests of two men, Gary Martin and Kenrick Bayliss. Evidence presented by the prosecution showed a premeditated plan to end Hannibal's life. Cell phone records and surveillance footage revealed that Bayliss had tracked the couple's movements and relayed their location to Martin, who then carried out the shooting. The two assailants fled the scene in an SUV.
Despite professing their innocence, both Martin and Bayliss were convicted on two counts of second-degree murder in September 2019. The following month, they were each sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. During the sentencing, the judge condemned the brutal and calculated nature of the crime. While the prosecution did not release a specific motive for the killing, it was made clear that Devon Hannibal was the primary target in this tragic incident that also claimed the life of Christina Stubbs.
