Two men have been convicted of fatally shooting a man and injuring three other individuals outside a party venue in Valley Stream in 2023.
On August 21, 2023, a party attended by members of the Crips street gang was held inside a venue on Ocean Avenue in Valley Stream. At approximately 8:22 p.m., Kyle Matthews and Isaiah Gonzalez walked toward a group of partygoers standing outside the entrance of the venue and fired at least eight gunshots from two different .380 caliber pistols at them.
Deandre Carter, 20, was struck in the left side of his chest, shattering his rib cage and piercing his heart and left lung. He later succumbed to his injuries. Three others, including an individual who was 12 years old at the time, were also struck and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Members of both the Nassau County Police Department and the New York City Police Department responded to the scene.
The investigation uncovered surveillance video that showed Matthews and Gonzales driving in a Mercedes-Benz to multiple locations, including near Greene’s Springfield Gardens residence, approximately 20 minutes before the shooting and getting out of the same vehicle to go to the venue. Additional video also showed the Mercedes driving in the vicinity of the shooting.
Matthews was arrested on September 6, 2023, by members of the NYPD in Far Rockaway. Gonzalez was arrested on September 8, 2023, in Manhattan by NYPD detectives.
The trial began on March 17, 2025, and the jury deliberated for one day before delivering their verdict. On April 10, 2025, Matthews and Gonzalez, both 23, were convicted by a jury after a trial before Judge Helene Gugerty. Matthews and Gonzalez were each convicted of Murder in the Second Degree (a Class A-I felony) and Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a Class B felony). They were also each convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a Class C felony).
Kenny Greene, 24, was acquitted of a charge of Conspiracy in the Second Degree.
Matthews and Gonzalez are due back for sentencing on May 9, 2025. They face a potential maximum of 65 years to life in prison.
“This case is yet another tragic reminder of the kind of devastation gang violence wreaks in our community,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “These defendants meticulously plotted to murder a member of a rival group in their community. As a result, a young life was taken in the name of gang warfare. We cannot and will not stand for this type of brutality on our streets, and my office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prevent these senseless acts of violence.”