Four young individuals have been charged in the tragic shooting of a 16-year-old girl in Queens, who was inadvertently caught in the crossfire of a gang rivalry three years ago, according to prosecutors.
The individuals facing charges—Messiah Randall and Jomar Pointdujour, both 19, Nicolson Pierrimas, 20, and Zaire Rolley, 21—are alleged members or affiliates of the 007 gang. They were indicted on Wednesday with allegations of murder, conspiracy, and illegal weapon possession related to the death of Claudia Quatey on May 10, 2023, in St. Albans, as stated by the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
On the night of the incident, Quatey was hanging out with four friends. One of these friends had arranged to confront another teenager at Locust Manor Park near P.S. 15, according to prosecutors.
Quatey and her companions, which included an alleged member of the rival TopOpp gang, were leaving the area in a blue Hyundai Venue when the suspects reportedly approached the vehicle, the DA’s office noted.
Seated in the rear passenger seat behind the alleged TopOpp member, Quatey was caught in the line of fire when Randall and Pierrimas purportedly shot several times at the Hyundai, the prosecutors claimed.
Quatey, a student at the Queens High School of Teaching who aspired to become a nurse, was tragically struck in the head by the gunfire.
She spent time on life support before dying of her grave injuries days later.
“Usually I tell her, school days, I don’t want her going out,” her father, Albert Quaatey, 65, told The Post at the time. “It wasn’t late, but still. They always called me old-school, but there are these kinds of problems. Too many younger people are being killed. I tried, but how much can you do?”
Claudia is one of six siblings, and was described by her dad as “very loving.”
Her aunt, Benita Bortey, said she was “always compassionate towards others” and “the first to offer help whenever needed.”
“In her free time, Claudia enjoyed running track, dancing, styling hair, and spending time with family and friends,” Bortey posted on a GoFundMe page.
Randall, a.k.a. “Siah,” Pierrimas, a.k.a “Smuddy,” and Rolley were ordered held without bail by Queens Supreme Court Justice Bruna DiBiase.
Pointdujour, a.k.a “JoJo,” is in custody on another matter and his arraignment will happen later, the DA’s office said.
All four, who were juveniles when the shooting happened, could spend 25 years to life behind bars if convicted.
“As alleged, the four defendants acted in concert to plan and carry out the murder of a perceived gang rival when they instead shot and killed 16-year-old Claudia Quatey,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. “Gang violence terrorizes neighborhoods, puts innocent people at risk and leaves lasting trauma for families and communities for decades.”
“We will hold the defendants accountable for this senseless tragedy and continue to work with our law-enforcement partners to dismantle gangs in this borough.”
