Faisil McCants, an 18-year-old New York City resident, was charged with armed robbery and firing a machine gun that killed a 69-year-old woman in East Harlem on August 27, 2025. According to authorities, McCants and two co-conspirators robbed a drug dealer near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue, resulting in a physical altercation and the theft of backpacks containing marijuana.
As McCants fled the scene, he pulled out a black machine gun and fired 15 shots in rapid succession, striking and killing a 69-year-old woman who was standing on the sidewalk with a walker. The victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the incident as ‘tragic’ and ‘senseless,’ stating that McCants will now answer for his alleged crime. HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel added that the victim was an innocent bystander who was gunned down in broad daylight while going about her daily life.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch expressed gratitude to the NYPD investigators, HSI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their swift work to keep the streets safe. ‘Removing illegal firearms from our streets remains at the forefront of the NYPD’s public safety mission,’ she said.
McCants is charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of the use, carrying, and possession of a machine gun, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The two counts must be served consecutively.
The case highlights the need to get violent criminals off the streets and to remove illegal firearms from the community. Authorities will continue to work together to ensure that those who carry such firearms are held accountable.
Related Federal Cases
- Edmanuel Victoria Charged with Armored Truck Robbery, New York, 2024 · Florida
- Aristedes Duartez III, Armed Jewelry Store Robbery, NY, 2012 · Illinois
- Rodney Whiting, Armed Robbery, Scranton PA, 2016 · Pennsylvania
- Matthew Hinton, Armed Robbery, VT 2015 · New York
- Khalif House, Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, NY 2016 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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