On the evening of October 2, 2014, Orlando Rivera, a 42-year-old father, was standing in front of a bodega on Saint Nicholas Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Unbeknownst to him, he was about to become an innocent victim in a burst of gang violence. Members of a street gang known as the '200,' who were feuding with a rival gang, had driven into the territory with the intent to shoot at their adversaries.
Two members of the '200' gang, Christian Pabon and Marcos Espinal, approached the intersection of 193rd Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue on foot and opened fire on a group of people standing in front of the bodega. They fired at least 15 shots, striking three individuals. A 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man were injured but survived. Rivera, who was talking on his phone, was struck by a bullet in his back as he tried to flee the gunfire. He ran around the corner toward his home but collapsed and died from his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting was carried out by the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Marcos Espinal was prosecuted by the New York County District Attorney's Office for his role in the murder.
Christian Pabon, identified as one of the shooters, was a member of the '200' gang, which operated in the Dyckman Street area of northern Manhattan and was involved in various criminal activities, including drug distribution, armed robberies, and assaults. In May 2022, a unanimous jury convicted Pabon of racketeering conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering. The murder conviction carried a mandatory life sentence in prison.
