Wilmington man sentenced to eight years for gang-related shooting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man has been sentenced to eight years (96 months) in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Quajohn Anthony Crews, 21, pled guilty to the charge in June.

(Photo: New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office)

The Wilmington Police Department responded to two almost simultaneous ShotSpotter notifications in a community known by law enforcement to be associated with Gangster Disciple street gang activity in October 2022. Officers located 12 spent shell casings and several residences damaged by gunfire. One of the damaged houses was occupied by a woman and her children at the time of the shooting and officers located a bullet on the floor of an upstairs bedroom. Law enforcement was able to identify a red four door Ford sedan as a suspect vehicle involved in the shooting.

The suspect’s vehicle was seen the next day, traveling near the Hillcrest public housing community. Officers got behind the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver sped away. While officers were in pursuit of the vehicle, they observed a handgun being thrown from the passenger side of the vehicle. After the vehicle stopped, Crews jumped out of the back passenger window and ran away.

Following his arrest, Crews was brought to the Wilmington Police Department and interviewed by detectives. During his interview, Crews admitted to being a Blood street gang member and acknowledged there was an ongoing dispute between members of the Blood and Gangster Disciple gangs. He also admitted to traveling to the Creekwood housing community with others on October 12, 2022, and participating in the shooting to “send a message” and retaliate for another shooting that he believed to have been carried out by a Gangster Disciple.