Man Sentenced To 37.5 Years In Prison For Shooting And Killing An Innocent Bystander – A 69-Year-Old Woman – On A Street In East Harlem

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that FAISIL McCANTS was sentenced today to 37.5 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff for possessing a machine gun in connection with an August 27, 2025, midday armed robbery and shooting in which McCANTS fired 15 rounds on a public street in East Harlem, striking and killing a 69-year-old bystander who was resting on her walker on the sidewalk.

"Faisil McCants, a repeat violent offender, unloaded 15 bullets in a matter of seconds in the middle of the day on the street in East Harlem, killing Robin Wright, a 69-year-old, wholly innocent woman and forever destroying a family," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "It is an unspeakable tragedy, born of wanton violence that outrages all New Yorkers and all Americans. New York City families expect and deserve to be free from purveyors of violence. To deliver for the good people of New York, we must get gun-toting criminals off our streets. New Yorkers have been clear: if someone commits a federal gun crime on our streets, New Yorkers want them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. McCants is now where he should be, serving a 37.5-year prison sentence."

As alleged in public court filings, statements in public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:

On August 27, 2025, shortly before 12:30 p.m., McCANTS and two co-conspirators ("CC-1" and "CC-2") robbed a drug dealer ("Individual-1") near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. During the robbery, McCANTS and his co-conspirators got into a physical altercation with Individual-1 before both McCANTS and CC-1 grabbed backpacks from Individual-1-which contained marijuana-and then fled north on Madison Avenue, turning onto East 110th Street.

McCANTS pulled a black firearm-equipped with a machine-gun conversion device-out of his right sweatshirt pocket and discharged 15 shots in quick succession in the general direction of Individual-1. A photograph of McCants firing the machine gun is below:

A 69-year-old woman, Robin Wright, was standing with a walker on the northwest corner of East 110th Street and Madison Avenue-in the direction that McCANTS shot the firearm-when she was struck by gunfire. The Victim was transported to the hospital, where she died.

Multiple members of the Victim's family submitted letters to the Court describing the Victim as a loving parent and grandmother who was simply enjoying her afternoon when she fell victim to McCants' crime.

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In addition to the prison term, McCANTS, 19, of New York, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the New York State Board of Parole.

This case is being handled by the Office's Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.