Providence Man, 23, Convicted Of Killing Gang Rival At School Bus Stop

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man was found guilty Friday of murder and other counts stemming from a 2021 gang-related shooting that killed a 22-year-old in 2020, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced in a news release Thursday.

Justin Chandler, 23, has been convicted of the murder of Devin Delacruz and the shooting of another man. The shooting happened when the pair were sitting in a car on the corner of Putnam and Kossuth Streets waiting to pick up the second man's child from a bus stop on December 4, 2020, officials said.

The shooting occurred around 11:22 a.m., when a hooded person approached the passenger door on foot and fired six rounds, hitting each victim twice, according to officials. Seconds later, Chandler drove up to the scene as the shooter jumped in the car and they fled the scene. After reviewing incriminating text messages and witness statements, investigators determined that Chandler targeted the two victims because of an ongoing gang-related feud, officials said.

“It is always a tragedy when someone is murdered by senseless gun violence, but it’s easy to forget the impact that reverberates out from a single death,” Neronha said in the news release. “One victim lost his life. Another victim, a father, was shot while waiting for his little boy at the bus stop. These victims have friends and family who loved them, whose lives were irrevocably changed. While nothing can reverse what happened, it is my hope that this verdict will bring their families a measure of justice."