Two teenagers were killed in Brooklyn during a gang dispute, and the getaway driver recorded the incident, according to the district attorney.

In a disturbing case that highlights the intersection of gang violence and youth involvement, Joshua Bonilla, 28, stands trial for the July 2020 shooting deaths of two teenagers in a Brooklyn park. Prosecutors allege that Bonilla, motivated by gang rivalry, used a stolen vehicle to carry out the attack, while a 15-year-old accomplice recorded the incident on a cellphone.

The victims, Antonio Villa, 18, and Kleimer Piron Mendez, 16, were both shot in George Walker Jr. Park during a period marked by a surge in violence in New York City amid the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were part of a larger wave of violence, with eight people reported killed across the city within a single 24-hour timeframe on July 26, 2020, underscoring the pervasive issues of urban violence during that tumultuous time.

In a detailed opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry outlined the events leading to the tragic shooting. Bonilla and his alleged co-conspirator, Bryant Perez, circled the park before stopping their vehicle to ensure they were not observed. Bonilla allegedly emerged from the sunroof of the Honda CR-V, armed with a .357-caliber semiautomatic pistol, and unleashed a barrage of 10 gunshots. Villa and Mendez were targeted in the head, and a third teenager was wounded in the leg.

The prosecution has indicated that they will present extensive video evidence to support their case, including footage taken by Perez from inside the vehicle, which was later recovered from Bonilla’s phone following his arrest. Bonilla faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, as the trial progresses.

Meanwhile, Perez has already pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and is expected to receive a sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

Bonilla’s defense attorney, Nahal Batmanghelidj, challenged the prosecution’s case, highlighting the absence of the murder weapon, fingerprints, and eyewitnesses. She argued that Bonilla did not match the profile of a calculated shooter, asserting that her client merely happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As proceedings continue, the case illustrates not only the personal tragedy affecting the victims and their families but also the broader societal issues surrounding youth and gang violence that continue to plague urban communities in New York City. The trial is expected to last approximately three weeks, during which the courtroom will hear further evidence and testimonies related to this devastating act of violence.