Faisil McCants, Shooting and Killing an Innocent Bystander, New York 2025
New York, NY - In a shocking display of violence, 19-year-old Faisil McCants unloaded 15 bullets in a matter of seconds on a public street in East Harlem, killing a 69-year-old innocent bystander, Robin Wright. McCants was sentenced to 37.5 years in prison for possessing a machine gun in connection with the August 27, 2025, midday armed robbery and shooting.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced the sentencing, stating, "Faisil McCants, a repeat violent offender, unloaded 15 bullets in a matter of seconds in the middle of the day on the street in East Harlem, killing Robin Wright, a 69-year-old, wholly innocent woman and forever destroying a family."
According to the charging documents, McCants and two co-conspirators robbed a drug dealer near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan on August 27, 2025. During the robbery, McCants and his co-conspirators got into a physical altercation with the victim before both McCants and one of his co-conspirators grabbed backpacks containing marijuana and fled. McCants then pulled out a black firearm equipped with a machine-gun conversion device and discharged 15 shots in quick succession in the direction of the victim.
R Robin Wright, a 69-year-old woman, was standing with a walker on the northwest corner of East 110th Street and Madison Avenue when she was struck by gunfire. She was transported to the hospital, where she died. Multiple members of Wright's family submitted letters to the court describing her as a loving parent and grandmother who was simply enjoying her afternoon when she fell victim to McCants' crime.
Mccants, 19, of New York, New York, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the New York State Board of Parole.
This case is being handled by the Office's Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.
The exact criminal charges against Faisil McCants were not specified in the source, but the charges mentioned were Possessing a Machine Gun in Connection with a Crime of Violence. The city and state where the crime occurred were New York, New York. The exact date of the crime was August 27, 2025. The sentence or outcome was 37.5 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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