Police ID Two Suspects Wanted For Murdering Chynna Battle And Shaqwanda Staley

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — Police have identified two suspects they believe were part of a fatal shootout that left two young mothers dead.

Anthony Alexander and Nazir “Stinky” Saunders are suspected of killing Chynna Battle, 21, and Shaqwanda Staley, 29, at a barbecue behind the Stuyvesant Garden Houses on July 12, said Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce during a press conference Wednesday.

“We’ve been hunting these two individuals for the past two days,” said Boyce. “So it’s not over.”

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Saunders fired six rounds from his .45 caliber handgun and Alexander shot his .38 caliber gun twice at the crowd hanging out in the courtyard behind 760 Gates Ave., said Boyce.

Despite bringing a crew of four men to the barbecue, the shooters failed to hit their target — which police believe was to have been retaliation for another shooting — and killed the two young mothers instead, said Boyce.

Boyce added that identifications were made possible by witnesses who linked the name “Stinky” to the shooting.

“A nickname emerged almost that night," said Boyce. “We went with that, and that’s how we were able to identify Anthony Alexander.”

Police are still working to identify the other two gunmen, said Boyce, and are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with pertinent information.

Photo by Kathleen Culliton