Man get 40 years sentence in fatal New York City parade shootout

September 26, 2013 3:33:45 PM PDT
The man convicted of murder after the West Indian Parade two years ago recevied a sentence of 40 to life on Thursday.

The murder led to a shoot-out with police, which left a woman dead. Her family was in court Thursday.

"If you could replay that night??" Eyewitness News Reporter Stacey Sager asked.

"I wouldn't have came outside," said Tashmaya Gay, the victim's daughter.

Tashmaya, still re-living it, even though it has been two years now since her mother, 56-year-old Denise Gay, was just sitting out on her stoop in Crown Heights, then struck and killed by a stray bullet.

Denise saved her daughter, first.

"She was scared that I might get shot, and she ended up getting shot," Tashmaya said.

"The defendant's actions that night had many consequences, judge," prosecutor Howard Johnson said.

On Thursday, prosecutors pushed the maximum sentence for this man, Leroy Webster.

Webster actually murdered another man that night. It was all captured on surveillance video- you see men running, Webster shooting and killing one of them. But seconds later, he runs back inside, and then repeatedly fires at police. They fire back, 73 times, and they say this video proves why.

Denise's death two years ago was part of a violent Labor Day weekend here in Brooklyn, with violence that marred the West Indian Day Parade. Denise was sitting out on her stoop because she was trying to avoid the festivities at the parade.

And while ballistics never confirmed whose bullet killed Denise, Webster's gun was ruled out. So now, a civil suit.

"73 shots? Was that necessary? Or was it reckless?" Gay Family Attorney Sanford Rubenstein said.

"There's got to be a way, coming into a community, guns in hand, and not just firing like the wild, wild west," Leslie Gay, the victim's brother, said.

And her family still grieving, like it was yesterday.

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