Story by Ethan
On November 6th, 2025, the arrests of Ricardo Johnson, Akeem McDonald, Saanshuray Bobbitt, Rasheem Watson, and Melsone Gasby, ages 51, 37, 43, 41, and 47, were announced by Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. All five defendants were charged with first-degree Assault, first-degree Criminal Use of a Firearm, first-degree Reckless Endangerment, second-degree Attempted Murder, second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and other unspecified charges. The arrest and charges against Ricardo Johnson, Akeem McDonald, Saanshuray Bobbitt, Rasheem Watson, and Melsone Gasby were a result of an investigation handled by Intelligence Analyst Timothy Brown of the KCDA Digital Evidence Lab, under the supervision of Alexandra Aber, Chief Analyst and Assistant District Attorney Jingu Chong, Chief of the Digital Evidence Lab, as well as the Bureau of Litigation Technology, Multimedia Services Unit, and the Detective Investigators Bureau.
According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, all five defendants, members of the Street Knights Motorcycle Club, were located in the area of Utica Avenue and Foster Avenue in East Flatbush, NY. The defendants were occupied throwing an anniversary party at their club venue on April 19th, 2025. At approximately 10:13 p.m. that night a group of motorcyclists, believed to be from a rival bike gang the Hood Ryderz Motorcycle Club, drove past the club before getting into an altercation with the defendants. Allegedly Rasheem Watson had fired 14 shots towards unknown individuals in the area of Utica Avenue and Avenue D, causing people to flee and inflicting damage to an occupied vehicle.
It’s also alleged that immediately following the first shots, the other defendants all followed suit and drew their weapons. Ricardo Johnson allegedly fired 2 rounds at a 35-year-old member from the Hood Ryderz Motorcycle Club, hitting him in the leg once. Akeem McDonald allegedly fired a shot attempting to hit the 35-year-old vehicle, however he missed and hit a nearby vehicle with a female passenger inside. Saanshuray Bobbitt allegedly also had fired at the victim alongside the other defendants. After sustaining the leg injury that left him unable to walk, the victim attempted to crawl away when he allegedly exchanged gunfire with Melson Gasby, the leader of the Street Knights Motorcycle Club. After the gunfire, another 29-year-old member from the Hood Ryderz Motorcycle Club attempted to flee from the scene but got shot in the leg at close range from a bullet that allegedly Saanshuray Bobbitt fired. The victim was able to flee with his life before driving to safety and calling 911.
It was determined that 44 shots were fired, and both 36 bullet casings alongside four calibers were recovered from the scene. Akeem McDonald transported Ricardo Johnson to Kings County Hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to his abdomen in the lower right area. The 35-year-old victim was transported to Brookdale Hospital to be treated for a shattered tibia, the victim still unable to walk on his own after two weeks of hospitalization. The 29-year-old victim was taken to Kings County Hospital after the 911 call, being hospitalized for several days as doctors determined that there was permanent nerve damage to his leg due to the gunshot wound.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Ricardo Johnson, Akeem McDonald, Saanshuray Bobbitt, Rasheem Watson, and Melsone Gasby are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
