On a bright summer afternoon in the Bronx, 21-year-old Allen McQueen was spending time with his one-year-old daughter. As he held the child in his arms on Taylor Avenue, the course of their lives was irrevocably altered. In a shocking act of violence on July 7, 2015, McQueen was fatally shot in what police would later describe as a gang-related incident.
The brazen daylight shooting left his daughter, who fell to the ground covered in her father's blood, physically unharmed but an innocent witness to a brutal act.
The investigation into McQueen's death quickly pointed to a violent feud between two rival street gangs. Authorities identified McQueen as a member of the 'Taylor Crew.' The suspect, James Capers, was a member of the rival 'Leland Avenue Crew.' The shooting was considered a part of an ongoing and violent dispute between the two groups over territory. Witnesses reported seeing the gunman flee the scene in a Mercedes-Benz, leaving a community in shock and a family devastated.
In the days that followed, the New York City Police Department, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, identified 22-year-old James Capers as the primary suspect. He was arrested on July 15, 2015, and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon. An eyewitness identified Capers as the shooter, and it was reported that he had bragged about the killing in the aftermath.
James Capers stood trial and, in December 2016, was convicted of murder, racketeering, and narcotics conspiracies. The prosecution presented evidence of Capers' involvement in the Leland Avenue Crew's drug trafficking operations and the violent measures they employed to protect their turf. In June 2017, a judge sentenced Capers to 42 years in prison for the murder of Allen McQueen and his other gang-related activities, bringing a measure of justice to a case that highlighted the devastating impact of gang violence.
