ROCHESTER, NY – Gabygayl Cruz, 21, is facing a decade behind bars after admitting she terrorized victims with online threats and then backed them up with gunfire. Cruz pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
The case began to unfold on the evening of June 7, 2021, when Cruz went live on Facebook and threatened to shoot a man. She chillingly concluded the video with the phrase, “Tune-in in five minutes.” Later that night, she and an accomplice headed to a Rochester location known to be frequented by the man she’d targeted. A second Facebook Live stream showed a black screen, but the audio clearly captured eleven gunshots, followed by the sounds of Cruz running and laughing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan detailed in court how Cruz didn’t stop there. A third video surfaced where she recounted the shooting, mimicked firing a weapon, and continued to issue threats against others. Less than a month later, on July 1, 2021, Cruz again turned to Facebook Live, this time threatening to shoot a woman while brandishing a .45 caliber firearm. She then drove to an address on Columbia Avenue, intent on confronting the woman, but she wasn’t home.
Leaving the scene, Cruz crashed into a parked car and then fired a shot into the air. The following day, Rochester Police stopped Cruz while she was driving. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol – the same weapon she’d displayed during the Facebook Live threat. The investigation quickly linked the gun to the earlier shooting, confirming it was used in the commission of the crime.
The bust was the result of a joint investigation by the Rochester Police Department, led by Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito. The ATF’s involvement underscores the federal agency’s commitment to tracking down those who use firearms in connection with violent threats, especially those broadcast across state lines.
Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa. With the mandatory minimum sentence looming, Cruz can expect a significant stretch in federal prison, a consequence for turning online rage into real-world violence. U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross stated the case demonstrates a firm commitment to prosecuting individuals who use threats and firearms to terrorize communities.
Related Federal Cases
- National Shooting Sports Foundation v. James, Firearms Accountabili… · Alabama
- Bryan Grover Marley, Unlicensed Firearms Sales, FL 2024 · Florida
- Melvin Yip, Unlicensed Firearms Dealing, Texas 2024 · Texas
- Raymond VanBuskirk, Unlawful Possession of Firearms, NY 2024 · Texas
- Maquan Moore, Firearms Trafficking, New York 2024 · Kansas
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
