On an autumn morning in Providence, Rhode Island, the life of 22-year-old Black / African American male Terry Robinson was cut short by a burst of gunfire. The date was October 22, 2014, and the events of that day were set in motion by a phone call. Members of the YNIC criminal street gang were on the hunt for rivals from the Chad Brown gang, and they soon had their target.
Terry Robinson, along with Delacey Andrade and Kendrick Johnson, were spotted in a black Toyota Camry at a local convenience store on Douglas Avenue.
What followed was a calculated and brutal ambush. Henry Lopez, a member of the YNIC gang, received the call and, armed with two pistols, drove his confederates, Bruce Moten and Tevin Briggs, to the vicinity of the Chad Brown housing projects. Lopez dropped off Moten and Briggs, who, cloaked in black hooded sweatshirts, made their way to a parking lot on Fillmore Street where the black Toyota was parked. As Kendrick Johnson stepped out of the vehicle, Moten and Briggs unleashed a hail of bullets at the car and its remaining occupants. In the chaos, a bullet struck Terry Robinson in the head, killing him. Delacey Andrade was also hit, suffering a wound to the buttocks, while Johnson managed to escape unharmed. The shooters then sprinted back to Lopez's waiting black Infinity, and the three sped away from the scene.
The investigation into Terry Robinson's murder led Providence Police Detectives to a house on Tappan Street where the assailants had hidden the firearms used in the shooting. They later located the getaway vehicle, Lopez's black Infinity, in the driveway of a residence on Alaska Street. A search of the car uncovered crucial evidence, including paperwork from Providence County District Court belonging to Moten from that very morning, which corroborated surveillance footage from the court. This breakthrough, along with further investigation, led to the arrests of those responsible for the fatal shooting.
In the end, justice was served for the murder of Terry Robinson. Tevin Briggs pleaded guilty to his role in the killing and was sentenced to life in prison plus 60 years. Bruce Moten was found guilty and received consecutive life sentences plus 70 years. Henry Lopez, the driver, was sentenced to 22 years to serve for his part in the deadly ambush. A fourth man who was arrested in connection with the murder was ultimately acquitted.
