In the early moments of November 22, 2017, a car crash on Wolcott Street in Waterbury, Connecticut, revealed a grim scene. Inside the vehicle, which had struck a utility pole and a house, were two men, both deceased. They were identified as 22-year-old Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos. It was quickly determined that their deaths were not the result of the crash but of gunshot wounds.
The investigation that followed would uncover a violent feud between rival city gangs, a conflict reportedly fueled by disputes over music.
The case was an active and ongoing gang-related investigation from the outset. Authorities learned that a war had erupted in the autumn of 2017 between two groups: the 960 gang and the ATM gang. This rivalry led to a surge of violence across the city. Investigators believed a dispute between the victims and other individuals preceded the fatal shooting. Some of the members of the rival 960 gang had once been friends with Lewis, having spent time in his home and eaten at his family's table. Lewis was aware that he had been targeted by the 960 gang but was reportedly unafraid, adopting the mindset that "if it's his time, it's his time."
The first significant break in the case came in February 2018, when Waterbury police arrested Shan Thompson. He was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the deaths of Lewis and Santos. The investigation continued, and in October of the same year, three more men, identified as suspected members of the 960 gang, were charged. Gabriel Pulliam, Tahjay Love, and Zaekwon "Yung Gap" McDaniel were each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Love and McDaniel were already incarcerated on unrelated charges at the time the new charges were filed.
A major development occurred in September 2021 when a federal grand jury returned a sweeping indictment against multiple members of the 960 gang for racketeering conspiracy, murder, and drug trafficking offenses. The indictment specifically charged Zaekwon McDaniel, Malik Bayon, and Tahjay Love with the murders of Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos. Following a lengthy jury trial that concluded in early 2024, McDaniel, Love, and Bayon were found guilty of numerous charges, including racketeering conspiracy and the murders of the two men. Testimony from a former 960 member revealed that prior to the murders, McDaniel had been actively searching for Lewis because Lewis had allegedly pointed a gun at him.
