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Sundance Oliver, 28, turned himself in on Tuesday, December 6, after being involved in a shooting spree that killed and injured people across Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Oliver was suspected of being involved in three different shooting incidents on the same day, i.e., Monday, December 5. His victims included a 17-year-old female and a 21-year-old male, who received fatal injuries. A 96-year-old man was injured in the ankle as well.
After the incident, the NYPD initiated an intense manhunt, which ended on Tuesday after the suspect, Sundance Oliver, turned himself in at 77th Precinct.
Sundance Oliver turned himself in him after going on a shooting spree
On Monday, December 5, 2022, a series of unfortunate events began unfolding at about 9.30 am local time. Sundance Oliver robbed a 39-year-old woman at a playground near Bergen Street and Rochester Avenue in Crown Heights. When the woman tried to run away, Oliver fired a shot at her.
The shot missed the woman and hit 96-year-old Sandy Dewalt, who was in a wheelchair. The elderly man was then taken to a hospital and is expected to heal soon. Recalling the incident, Dewalt said,
“I heard a gunshot. When the gun shot ... I felt it because my leg jumped and I look down, my leg is bleeding.”
He added,
“Thank God it was not worse than what it was. He could've killed me.”
After the incident, Oliver allegedly took off from the scene. Police confirmed that Oliver was a known face to law enforcement officials and lived nearby. Oliver also reportedly knew the woman he robbed, and it was not an arbitrary act of violence.
Sundance Oliver continued the shooting spree by killing a 21-year-old man on St. James Place. Police have identified the victim as Kevon Langston, a resident of Columbus Avenue.
Langston was shot several times in the chest by Sundance Oliver. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead at about 12.45 am local time. Officials could not immediately discover the link between Oliver and Kevon.
Oliver did not stop and went for his last victim, a 17-year-old female whose identity was not disclosed at the time. Her family later identified her as Keyaira Rattray-Brothers.
Keyaira’s mother, Tasha, spoke about her daughter and said,
“I just want to tell her I love her and hold her and be there for her, but I can't because somebody took that away from me. How could we do family pictures without my child? How? It can't happen. I just want my baby back.”
Kevin, Keyaira’s heartbroken father, said,
“She was smart, funny, energetic. She liked to sing. She liked to dance.”
Kevon and the female are believed to be Oliver’s associates, but the police are still investigating to unearth the truth. James Essig, the Chief of Detectives, has confirmed the same. The families, however, have mentioned that they are unaware of such connections.
After the shootings, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell shared a tweet asking the public to help find the suspect and described him as:
“Armed and extremely dangerous.”
A manhunt was initiated by the police department that went on for several hours. It concluded when Sundance Oliver turned himself in on Tuesday, December 6, at about 7 am local time.
In a press briefing held on Tuesday, Sewell said,
“Based on evidence collected at all three crime scenes and a number of investigative steps, it has been determined that the shooter is the same in all three of these incidents.”
Sundance Oliver was part of a violent gang from a young age
Sundance Oliver is not a new name to law enforcement officials. Officials mentioned that he had been associated with gangs from the young age of just 12. He was supposedly a member of the Brooklyn’s Loop Gang, a violent group in East New York. He was shot on various occasions involving drugs back in 2012 and 2013.
Upon recalling his time in the gang, police said,
“He was a one-man crime wave, always carrying the gun.”
On November 21, 2011, he was accused of robbing a victim and stealing about $4000. Authorities have confirmed that he allegedly punched his girlfriend on December 3 and fired into a bodega on December 4.
NYPD Chief James Essig said,
“We know that both homicide victims are known to our perpetrator. But the motive is not yet known at this time as to why he killed them and the investigation continues.”
Area residents have expressed relief after Sundance Oliver turned himself in and was taken into custody. The firearm that he used has not been recovered yet. Officials have confirmed that Oliver will face several charges, including robbery and attempted murder.
