Bushwick Gang Member Gets 10 Years For Shooting Teen Near Playground, Prosecutors Say

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A gang member who shot a 16-year-old boy in broad daylight near a Sheepshead Bay playground has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

The teenaged-victim was hanging out with friends outside a bodega near Avenue X and Brown Street on July 25, 2016, when Joseph Ackwood, 21, rode along on a bicycle, prosecutors said.

Ackwood — a Young Stackers street gang member from Bushwick — stopped and said a few words to the teenager, then pulled a .40 caliber gun from his waistband, chased the kid into the street and shot him in the ankle and buttocks, according to prosecutors.

The teenager was hospitalized for more than one week and Ackwood was arrested one month later, prosecutors said.

Ackwood pleaded guilty to attempted murder in Brooklyn supreme court on April 6 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years’ probation on Tuesday, according to prosecutors.

“This callous and senseless shooting at a time when children were playing is infuriating,” said Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

“We will continue to vigorously prosecute all instances of gun violence in Brooklyn and seek lengthy prison terms against anyone who fires a weapon on our streets.”

Contact information for Ackwood's attorney was not immediately available.

Photo via the Brooklyn District Attorney's office.