Photo Courtesy of Google
The busy stretch of Steinway Street in Astoria near 28th Avenue where Santiago Salcedo shot Qsaun Brown in a dispute over insulting remarks made to Salcedo’s female companions in July of 2016.
By Forum Staff
A jury convicted a 27-year-old Brooklyn man after they found him guilty of manslaughter and other crimes for shooting and killing a man following a dispute on Steinway Street in July 2016.
Santiago Salcedo, 27, of Madison Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant grabbed a gun to defend the honor of the women that were accompanying him when someone slung insults at the women in the early morning hours of July 17, 2016.
Authorities say that shortly after 4 a.m., after patronizing several bars on Steinway Street Salcedo and 3 friends – two women and a male – walked near 28 Avenue. The foursome walked past Qsaun Brown, who was with another man. Brown and his friend made derogatory remarks about the two women with Salcedo and one of the women asked the defendant “Are you just going to let them disrespect us like that?”
Salcedo and his friend went to a car, retrieved something from the trunk and walked back and confronted Brown and his friend on the street. After an argument ensued, Brown ran to his car about a half block away, got in and drove back toward the defendant. He was unarmed when he jumped out of his vehicle and ran over to where Salcedo was standing. The defendant then took a gun his friend was holding and fired 5 times at Brown and another unarmed man. The victim was struck once in the neck and died two days later at a nearby hospital. Brown’s friend was not hit by gunfire.
The jury deliberated for 3 days, finding Salcedo guilty of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted assault and 2 counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a 5-week-long trial.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ronald Hollie, who presided at trial, set sentencing for January 23, 2020, at which time the defendant faces up to 25 years in prison.
“This was a ridiculous act of violence that could have been avoided. An early morning derogatory remark started a chain of events that resulted in one man losing his life and now this defendant could spend the next couple of decades locked behind bars over foolish words,” said Acting District Attorney Ryan. “Getting a gun is never the right answer to settle a dispute.”
