Gang Member Indicted In Long Island Drive-By Shooting That Killed Woman: DA

MINEOLA, NY — A man accused of being a gang leader was arraigned Friday on charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the April drive-by shooting death of a Bronx school teacher, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Kimberly Midgette, 44, was shot to death in her vehicle while her 10-year-old daughter was in the backseat, Donnelly said.

Oumar Barry, 27, of Hempstead, was charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the DA said.

"Kimberly Midgette was a beloved elementary school teacher at a public school in the Bronx and mother to a 10-year-old daughter," Donnelly said in a news release. "Her light was cruelly stolen from all those who cherished her when a hail of bullets entered her vehicle and killed her, and struck her friend. Thankfully, Kimberly's daughter, who was in the backseat of the car during the shooting, was unharmed. The child will now live with the tragic and senseless loss of her mother. Our thoughts are with Kimberly’s family, friends, and school community as they mourn her loss."

Midgette pulled her Toyota Corolla in front of her ex-husband's home to drop off her 10-year-old child for the weekend at 1:33 a.m. April 1, the DA said.

Before Midgette, her friend and daughter could exit the car, a stolen black Honda Accord drove past Midgette’s car, and an occupant fired multiple rounds, fatally striking Midgette in the face and striking her friend in the arm, prosecutors said. The girl was not injured, the DA said.

Prosecutors said they believe that Midgette was not the intended target of the shooting.

At the time of the killing, Barry was an alleged leader of the street gang, the Blood Hound Brims, the DA said.

Barry was arrested on Nov. 2 in Hempstead by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.

Barry pleaded not guilty and was remanded. He is due back in court on Jan. 23. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

A teenage co-defendant was also indicted and arraigned on Dec. 7 on the same charges. The DA did not release the teenager's name.

"The NCDA thanks the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their assistance with the investigation," the DA's Office wrote.

Barry is represented by Jeffrey Groder, who did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.