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Jaylin Smith, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of felony second-degree attempted murder, on May 25, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.
The incident occurred on Aug. 31, 2016, in the Town of Wallkill when Smith, along with another person, approached a group of people and displaying their guns, ordered their victims to stand against a car before they stole property from them, Hoovler said.
After the robbery, Smith admitted that he shot one of the victim's twice, with one bullet striking his back and the other entering near his heart. The victim is paralyzed, Hoovler said.
In court, prosecutors pointed out that Smith was a self-confessed member of the “Bloods” street gang. Prosecutors also said that State Police sources verified that Smith was also a member of the “Gruddy Gang”, which is believed to be a “Bloods” affiliate, he added.
“Street gangs and the senseless gun violence that they engage in must be fought at every level,” said Hoovler. “Gun violence, especially when it is directed at innocent people in order to take their property, deserves severe punishment. This defendant’s act of robbing his victims at gunpoint was bad enough, but he elevated the crime to an entirely new and dangerous level when he shot one of his victims after the robbery was complete.”
Hoovler commended Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly for his prosecution of the case.
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