Brooklyn man gets 23 years for East New York gang retaliation killing

A local man has been sentenced to 23 years to life for the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old in East New York.

Shamel Boomer, a young man from Brownsville, was enjoying an evening playing video games with friends at the Sunborn Hotel in East New York when tragedy struck on July 10, 2020.

Malik Bacchus, a 22-year-old from Crown Heights and a known member of the Bergen Fam gang, spotted Boomer, a member of the rival WOOO gang, in the hotel’s lobby. Recognizing Boomer as a rival, Bacchus, who had earlier stolen a red Nissan Altima, ambushed him, pulling out an illegal 9-millimeter gun and shooting Boomer at close range. The bullet pierced both of Boomer’s lungs and the pulmonary trunk, leading to his tragic death at Brookdale Hospital.

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez expressed his deep concern about the escalating gang violence in the region.

“This murder and the violent retaliation it sparked is another example of the pervasive cycle of gang violence that is destroying too many young lives in Brooklyn,” Gonzalez said. “I am committed to holding accountable those responsible for shootings, and, as in this terrible instance, shooting deaths that endanger all Brooklynites.”

In the aftermath of the murder, a wave of retaliation branded as “Boomin’ for Boomer” on social media instigated further gang-related violence between Bergen Fam, WOOO, and CHOO members.

Following a four-month search, Bacchus was found in Chico, California. He was extradited to Brooklyn and linked to the crime through video surveillance and DNA evidence found on a soda can in his hotel room.

Bacchus was convicted of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and third-degree grand larceny on Oct. 2, 2023, after a jury trial. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun handed down the 23 years-to-life sentence.