The Brief
- Five members of the “Murder Squad” in Salinas were sentenced a collective 161 years in prison following the shooting of dozens in a three-year period
- At least 11 died and 17 others injured in the gang-affiliated killing spree
- Some victims were targeted for suspicions they were in a rival gang for several arbitrary reasons
SALINAS, Calif. – Five members of the self-proclaimed “Murder Squad” crew were sentenced to a combined total of 161 years in prison for their parts in dozens of shootings, both fatal and nonfatal, racketeering, and other convictions in Salinas, over the course of three years, the Department of Justice reported.
The Murder Squad, affiliated with the Norteño street gang, took out over a dozen “hunts” between 2015-18 where they would track down and shoot Salinas residents who appeared to be rival gang members for “reasons as vague as they were Hispanic, bald, or wearing blue,” the DOJ reported.
At least 11 people were killed during the hunts and another 17 injured, federal officials said. Additionally, officials said that most of the victims in the hunts weren’t rival gang members, and some weren’t the intended target regardless but were hit in the crossfire.…