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Baltimore gang member sentenced to 25 years for fatally shooting 3-year-old McKenzie Elliott

Baltimore Sun - 8/28/2019

Aug. 28--A Waverly gang member was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday in federal court for opening fire on a carload of rivals and mistakenly hitting 3-year-old McKenzie Elliott.

The little girl was shot in her head and killed while playing on her porch five years ago. Her death shook Baltimore, drawing crowds to memorial services and prompting city leaders to designate "McKenzie Elliott Way."

McKenzie's mother Nina Epps and her sister, Nafeesa Harrison spoke at the hearing. Epps said her daughter was her whole world and spoke of how she wanted her to have experiences she didn't have as a child.

Epps said she was scared to appear in court.

"We live in the city of Baltimore. Let's be real," Epps said.

"I hope this will be a life learned lesson for everyone that we have to put the guns down because we're losing our children. ... I hope that we all take this into consideration, pay attention and open our eyes up and give everybody else a chance to live their life like how we all should and make Baltimore at peace again," McKenzie's mother said.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell also spoke at length, trying to comfort Epps as she spoke in the courtroom. He said the city needs to come together to stop violence. He expressed frustration that no witnesses came forward immediately after McKenzie was shot.

The child's killing took years to solve. Federal prosecutors have said the gang responsible terrorized the Waverly neighborhood and frightened witnesses from coming forward. In April 2017, a federal grand jury indicted seven men in the Old York Money Gang, including the killer.

Terrell "Rell" Plummer pleaded guilty in November to one count of racketeering conspiracy. In exchange, federal prosecutors recommended he serve 25 years in prison.

While Plummer pleaded guilty, he denied shooting McKenzie.

"I felt like I wouldn't be given a fair chance," he said, speaking to McKenzie's mother. "I signed this plea to get back to my family."

As Plummer spoke, a relative shouted out in the courtroom, "keep your head up."

The judge said he didn't believe Plummer and said the evidence points to him as the shooter.

"He's 29 and he hasn't accepted responsibility," the judge said.

As part of his plea deal, Plummer admitted to firing the errant shot that killed McKenzie. He also admitted dealing heroin, cocaine and marijuana for the Old York Money Gang between 2013 and 2017. In July 2014, the gang went to war with a crew of men from another neighborhood. One person was stabbed during a fight on July 30, 2014.

Two days later, the rival crew returned to Waverly and drove through the neighborhood in a white 1999 Mercedes SUV. Plummer opened fire on their car.

"The defendant did so in relation to protecting and defending the OYMG neighborhood from the adversaries' incursion," federal prosecutors wrote in the plea agreement.

One errant bullet grazed the chin and wrist of a bystander. Another fatally struck McKenzie on her porch in the 3600 block of Old York Rd.

"The Defendant did not mean to kill McKenzie Elliott," prosecutors wrote. "However, the Defendant was responsible for her death insofar as he was trying to shoot the individuals in the white SUV."

The gang leader, Trevon Beasley, was sentenced to life in prison on federal racketeering charges in March. Plummer is the final gang member to be sentenced.

His sentencing comes two weeks after Keon Gray, 30, was convicted of second-degree murder for firing the errant shot that killed 7-year-old Taylor Hayes last summer. A jury found Gray guilty of mistakenly hitting Taylor during a shootout in the streets of West Baltimore.

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