An aspiring young chef's life was tragically cut short in a moment of violence that shattered a summer evening in Manhattan. Jordan Barber, an 18-year-old male, was fatally shot in the neck on June 29, 2015. The incident occurred outside the Polo Grounds Houses in Harlem, following a basketball tournament at the renowned Rucker Park. Barber had stepped in to de-escalate a confrontation between two groups when gunfire erupted, claiming his life.
In his final moments, he managed to express his love to his mother and brother who were nearby.
The investigation into Barber's death quickly pointed to a suspect, Demetrius Washington, who was 19 years old at the time. Washington was arrested in July 2015 and subsequently indicted on second-degree murder charges in August of the same year. Authorities alleged that Washington fired into the crowd, striking Barber and wounding two other teenagers. The shooting was believed to be rooted in a bloody rivalry between two street gangs, the East Army gang based in East Harlem and the 600/Gutta Gang from West Harlem. Washington was identified as a member of the 600/Gutta Gang.
In a broader crackdown on gang violence in June 2016, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced the indictment of 37 members from both the East Army and 600/Gutta gangs on 66 counts, including attempted murder and gang assault. This extensive indictment encompassed the murder charge against Demetrius Washington for the death of Jordan Barber. The legal proceedings against Washington culminated in June 2018, when he was convicted of two counts of gang assault in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, and conspiracy in the third degree. He was sentenced to an aggregate term of 40 years in prison. Following an appeal, his sentence was modified in June 2023, with all sentences to be served concurrently, resulting in a new aggregate term of 25 years.
