Sharayda Washington gets 32 years to life in slaying of rival gang member, prosecutors say

A West Hempstead man was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison Friday after being convicted of killing a 16-year-old when he ambushed a group of rival gang members, Nassau County district attorney officials said.

Sharayda Washington, 26, was found guilty in March of the 2019 murder of Josiah Tucker in Hempstead. Washington was also convicted of attempted murder, assault and weapons charges in the shooting that also wounded another unidentified 16-year-old boy.

Prosecutors said Washington was a Bloods gang member when he went to Jackson Street in Hempstead at 5:45 p.m. and fired 10 shots with a .22 caliber handgun at nine people who were in the rival Crips gang. Prosecutors said the shooting was in retaliation for a fight earlier in the week between the two gangs.

“This defendant, trying to settle a score with a rival and elevate his status within his own gang, fired a barrage of bullets at a young man who was standing with an unsuspecting group, killing 16-year-old Josiah Tucker and injuring another teen,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “This violent outburst took place as members of the community were walking the streets in broad daylight, and just steps away from the Nassau County District Court, which had people exiting for the day. Thankfully, no one else was hurt.”

Tucker was shot in the chest. Both teens were taken to NYU Langone Hospital — Long Island, where Tucker was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said Washington fled to Georgia where he was arrested on other Nassau County charges and extradited in October 2019. He was charged in the murder two months later.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.