FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 6, 2015
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life for Fatally Shooting
16-Month-Old Baby; Accomplice Sentenced to 15 Years for
Handing Him Illegal Gun
Bullets Were Meant for Child’s Dad Who Was Pushing Son in Stroller
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson today announced that a Brooklyn man, convicted of murdering a 16-month-old boy, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, and another man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for supplying the gunman with the deadly weapon. The bullets were aimed at the victim’s father, but the shooter missed and struck the toddler, who was being pushed in a stroller.
District Attorney Thompson said, “These defendants showed a callous disregard for human life – and now an innocent baby is dead because of their outrageous actions. They’re not fit to remain in society and deserve every minute they’ll spend in prison.”
The District Attorney identified the defendants as Daquan Breland, 25, of 187 Riverdale Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Daquan Wright, 21, of 24 Chester Street in East New York, Brooklyn. Breland, who was convicted on July 16, 2015 of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a jury trial, was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog to the maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Wright, who was tried with Breland and convicted of the top count he was charged with, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, was sentenced today by Judge Firetog to the maximum of 15 years in prison.
The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on September 1, 2013, at about 7:20 p.m., Wright handed a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol to Breland, who fired several shots in the direction of Anthony Hennis at the intersection of Bristol Street and Livonia Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Anthony Hennis was pushing a stroller with his son, 16-month-old Antiq Hennis, sitting inside. One bullet struck the boy in the head, killing him. Both defendants fled the state and were apprehended in Pennsylvania five days after the homicide.
An eyewitness testified at trial that he saw Wright hand the gun to Breland then watched as Breland shot at Anthony Hennis as he was pushing a stroller. Breland’s former roommate testified that the defendant admitted to him shortly after the incident that he shot a rival, referring to the victim’s father by his nickname.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Howard Jackson of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub, Chief.
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