Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Fatal Daylight Shooting Following Conviction by State’s First Anonymous Jury

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison for Fatal Daylight Shooting Following Conviction by State's First Anonymous Jury

Unprovoked Killing Claimed Life of Unarmed Man Riding Moped

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bedford-Stuyvesant man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the unprovoked murder of a 42-year-old man. The verdict came from an anonymous jury after another panel was deadlocked during a first trial earlier this year, and the Court found "compelling proof" that the defendant attempted to interfere with jurors during his first trial.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "Brandon Washington was unarmed and simply going about his day when this defendant brazenly opened fire, killing him and endangering others nearby. At a time when shootings are at historic lows citywide and gun violence continues to fall, today's sentence sends a clear message: we will pursue accountability relentlessly for those who bring gunfire to our neighborhoods. My thoughts remain with the victim's family and loved ones."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Saalik Jackson, 47, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Warin to 25 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on November 14, 2025, following a jury trial.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 14, 2021, at approximately 6 p.m., the defendant brandished a gun on a public street near Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Hancock Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant and, unprovoked, fired at least five shots toward Brandon Washington, 42, who was riding his moped around the neighborhood while searching for a barbershop to get a haircut before attending a memorial service for his grandfather. The victim was struck numerous times about the torso, hip and buttocks.

He was later pronounced dead at Interfaith Medical Center, having died from the gunshot to his torso. The defendant fled the scene following the shooting but was arrested on February 3, 2022.

The first trial was conducted this spring and, after less than two hours of deliberations, the jury indicated to the Court that they were deadlocked 11-1. After more deliberations, the jury did not reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. Following an investigation by the DA's Office, prosecutors moved for a protective order limiting disclosure of juror-identifying information in the new trial to the lawyers in the case, pursuant to a new law intended to protect the safety and integrity of juries. Granting the order, the Court found that, while jailed on Rikers Island, the defendant had phone conversations with his girlfriend, discussing paying someone $1,000 to "work on" the case and providing him with the jurors' names. The second jury returned a guilty verdict in just over an hour and a half.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sarah Jafari, of the District Attorney's Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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