Murder Indictments For 2019 Drive-By Hempstead Shooting: Prosecutors

MINEOLA, NY — Two alleged gang members were indicted on murder and weapons charges for the 2019 drive-by shooting of a man in Hempstead, prosecutors said.

Taiquan Cullum a/k/a "Tay Tay," 33, of Hempstead, and Deion Barros a/k/a "D" and "Little," 27, of Hempstead, were arraigned in connection with the killing of a 36-year-old.

Cullum and Barros each face second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Both men pleaded not guilty and were remanded.

"After surviving an attempt on his life at a bar in Baldwin, Taiquan Cullum allegedly decided to take matters into his own hands and enlisted the help of co-defendant Deion Barros to hunt down the individual who shot at him and retaliate," Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said. "The pair came across Paul LaRue, who had been with Cullum’s shooter, but not involved in the earlier incident. The defendants recognized him from the bar and allegedly shot him to death."

On July 28, 2019, just before 2 a.m., Cullum was at a bar in Baldwin and was shot seven times by Jermaine Grant because of a perceived dispute between Cullum and acquaintances of Grant.

According to the charges, Cullum and Barros allegedly drove around Hempstead and came across LaRue, a friend of Grant who was also at the bar during the attempted murder but not involved in the shooting.

LaRue was sitting in his vehicle stopped at a red light at the intersection of Clinton and Fulton streets.

The defendants allegedly pulled alongside LaRue’s Mercedes Benz and Barros opened fired, killing LaRue. Cullum and Barros then drove off, Donnelly said.

Barros is due back in court on September 26 and Cullum is due back in court on September 27. If convicted, the defendants face up to 40 years to life in prison.