In the early hours of June 10, 2000, Darryl Baum, a 34-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, was fatally shot. His death was not a random act of violence but rather a calculated execution rooted in a volatile gang feud. Baum, who was known to be an associate of boxer Mike Tyson and worked as his bodyguard, was also connected to the criminal underworld.
The events leading to Baum's murder were set in motion just three weeks prior, when he was allegedly involved in the highly publicized
shooting of rapper 50 Cent in Queens. While 50 Cent survived the attack, the incident likely intensified existing rivalries. Baum's demise was ultimately ordered by Damion 'World' Hardy, the leader of a notorious Brooklyn gang known as the Cash Money Brothers. The motive was reportedly in retaliation for the death of Hardy's brother, Myron, which Hardy believed was orchestrated by a rival faction with whom Baum was associated.
On that fatal morning, Baum was reportedly lured to the corner of Quincy Street and Marcy Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. As he sat in his vehicle, a gunman approached and shot him in the back of the head. The investigation into his murder eventually led to the arrests of several members of the Cash Money Brothers.
Damion Hardy was identified as the individual who ordered the killing from behind bars. Aaron Granton, a known enforcer for the gang, and Eric Moore were implicated as the triggermen in Baum's murder, with Zareh Sarkissian named as the getaway driver. In the years that followed, the wheels of justice turned, leading to the convictions of those responsible. Both Damion Hardy and Aaron Granton were ultimately sentenced to life in prison for their roles in a racketeering enterprise that included the murder of Darryl Baum and several others. The violent saga also claimed the life of Baum's brother, Tyrone, who was murdered in 2003 while seeking to avenge his brother's death.
