A member of the Bloods Gang was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a murder that occurred in July 2020.
On July 4, 2020, at about 11:15 p.m., Thomas Massenburg, 23, of Brooklyn, murdered a 21-year-old man during a Massapequa house party on West Drive.
Massenburg attended the party with other members of the Mac Baller Bloods from Brooklyn. Rashawn Cummings, a friend of another defendant, Learyk Jarvis, later attended the party. A physical altercation occurred between the two groups in the basement of the home.
Jarvis waved a firearm in the air and told everyone to leave the house.
During the altercation, Massenburg got a loaded gun from Quran Blue, another Mac Baller Blood from Brooklyn, and shot Cummings once in the leg and once in the back. Massenburg also shot another man once in the arm and twice in the buttocks. That man survived.
Jarvis then shot Massenburg in the groin.
Cummings was pronounced dead at the scene.
After the shooting, Massenburg gave the gun to Blue, who went outside and fired five more shots.
On June 3, 2021, Nassau County officers arrested Massenburg. Jarvis was arrested 14 days later.
Jarvis was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and was sentenced on April 13, 2023, to 3-½ years in jail and five years’ post-release supervision.
Blue was arrested on March 3, 2022, and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He was sentenced on June 8, 2023, to 3-½ years in jail and five years’ post-release supervision.
On September 26, 2024, Massenburg was convicted after a jury trial before Judge Howard Sturim of the following charges:
- Murder in the Second Degree (a Class A-I Felony)
- Attempted Murder in the Second Degree (a Class B Violent Felony)
- Assault in the First Degree (a Class B Violent Felony)
- Two Counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a Class C Violent Felony)
On March 25, Massenburg was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
“The Fourth of July should be a day of celebration, but this defendant turned a backyard party into a violent and tragic scene when he shot at multiple party goers and killed a 21-year-old man,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. “Thomas Massenburg now faces the consequences for his devastating choices that night, and his sentence today ensures that he will no longer pose a threat to our communities.”