Who Was Shatavia Walls? The Murder and Racketeering Case

Shatavia Walls was a 33-year-old mother and former federal witness shot at Brooklyn’s Louis H. Pink Houses on July 7, 2020, three days after she confronted members of the Ninedee Gang for setting off fireworks near children. She died of her wounds ten days later. The Shatavia Walls murder became the centerpiece of a federal racketeering prosecution in the Eastern District of New York that has produced six convictions, including the gang’s leader, who faces a mandatory life sentence.

Who She Was

Walls lived at the Pink Houses, a New York City Housing Authority complex in East New York. Friends and family described her as fiercely protective of the children in the courtyard. Her best friend, Erica Lee, told the New York Daily News, “Sha loved kids. Even when their mothers are upstairs not watching them, Sha was watching them. Even little kids. She was the protector.”¹ Her mother remembered her as someone who played with all the kids and all the older adults in the complex and did not tolerate disrespect. A candlelight memorial went up in the courtyard where she was shot.²

Why the Gang Targeted Her

At the Pink Houses, gang rivalries were organized by building. The Ninedee Gang claimed the “5” and “6” buildings; a rival crew tied to the Makk Baller Brims operated out of “7” and “8.” Walls was affiliated with the “7” and “8” side, which alone put her in Ninedee crosshairs.³

In 2017, Walls was shot by a member of the Loopy Gang, a crew closely tied to the Ninedee. She testified in federal court in Brooklyn against the man who shot her.⁴ After that, fliers appeared throughout the complex reading, “Shatavia Been a Rat And She Still Ratting.”⁵ Federal prosecutors later called it “significant witness intimidation.”⁶

The Fireworks Confrontation

On the evening of July 4, 2020, Walls and others confronted people setting off illegal fireworks in a courtyard near where children were playing. Her mother said Walls had “asked politely” for them to stop.² The people she confronted were Ninedee members, and the exchange turned physical.

Ninedee leader Maliek Miller arrived while the fight was underway, called Walls a “snitch,” scuffled with her, and fired a gunshot into the air.⁵ Prosecutors said the gang already considered Walls a “high-value target,” and in the days that followed Miller coordinated with other members to plan her killing.³

The Shooting

Three days later, on the evening of July 7, 2020, Ninedee members Quintin Green and Joe Santana spotted Walls at the Pink Houses. At about 9:25 p.m., as she walked along a path near Linden Boulevard, both men opened fire.⁴ Green chased her down the path, still shooting, as she tried to flee. A 30-year-old man nearby was hit but survived.²

Walls’ mother, Helen Testagrose, reached her on the ground. She later told the New York Daily News: “She said to me, ‘Ma I don’t think I’m going to make it.’ She was telling me who shot her, saying it was the same guy from the other day.”¹ Walls suffered numerous gunshot wounds and died on July 17, 2020.³

In the days after the shooting, Green and fellow member Kevin Wint posted a news article about the homicide on Facebook and claimed credit on behalf of the Ninedee, apparently to build the gang’s reputation.⁷

The Federal Racketeering Case

Federal prosecutors charged members of the Ninedee Gang in the Eastern District of New York under a racketeering indictment docketed as Case No. 20-CR-331, before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.⁸ The case swept in the murder of Walls along with the gang’s turf violence, drug distribution, firearms possession, and fraud. Prosecutors described the Ninedee as a criminal enterprise operating out of the Pink Houses that used violence to hold territory and silence people who cooperated with law enforcement, with the killing of Walls the starkest example.

Who Was Convicted and What They Got

Six Ninedee members have been convicted in connection with the murder and related crimes. A seventh defendant, Raquel Dunton, is charged as an accessory after the fact along with obstruction and cocaine trafficking, and was awaiting trial as of early 2025.³

Maliek Miller

Miller, the gang’s leader, was the only defendant to go to trial. After a four-week proceeding in June 2024, a federal jury convicted him on all counts, including racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, unlawful firearms possession, and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.⁸ He faces a mandatory life sentence and was still awaiting sentencing as of early 2025.⁹

Quintin Green

Green, known as “Wild Child,” pleaded guilty in April 2024 to causing Walls’ death through the use of firearms, and to an unrelated attempted robbery at a Staten Island Target. On March 5, 2025, Judge DeArcy Hall sentenced him to 35 years in federal prison for the murder, with a concurrent five-year term for the robbery.³ U.S. Attorney John J. Durham said Green “shot an unarmed woman in cold blood to make a name for himself in the gang” and called him “a cowardly killer.”¹⁰

Joe Santana

Santana, known as “Baby Joe,” was the second shooter. He pleaded guilty to his role in the murder and was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.³

Kevin Wint

Wint, known as “Kev G,” helped in the aftermath of the murder and, with Green, posted on social media claiming credit for the killing. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced to 110 months in prison.³

Shakur Bey

Bey, known as “Speedy,” pleaded guilty in December 2023 to destroying evidence by burning the shooters’ clothing after the murder. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison.⁴

Chayanne Fernandez

Fernandez, known as “White Boy,” pleaded guilty to his role in the murder and was awaiting sentencing as of early 2025.³

1
New York Daily News. She Was the Protector – Brooklyn Family Says Woman Killed Just Days After She Demanded Neighbors Stop Shooting Fireworks Near Kids
2
CBS News New York. Illegal Fireworks in East New York Brooklyn – Pink Houses – Shatavia Walls
3
U.S. Department of Justice. Ninedee Gang Member Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder of Former Federal Witness
4
New York Post. NYC Ninedee Gang Leader Convicted in Murder of Female Witness
5
New York Daily News. Three Brooklyn Gangsters Murdered Federal Witness Labeled a Snitch
6
Patch. Gang Members Murdered Govt Witness After Fireworks Flap
7
SILive.com. Reputed Ninedee Gang Member Charged With Murder of Witness Has Ties to SI
8
U.S. Department of Justice. Leader of Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Convicted of Racketeering and Murder of Former Government Witness
9
Brooklyn Eagle. Leader of Brooklyn’s Ninedee Gang Convicted
10
Brooklyn Eagle. Brooklyn Ninedee Gang Member Sentenced to 35 Years for Murder of Federal Witness