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A man who was critically injured in one of Wednesday's shootings is a member of the 40th Avenue gang, as were three men who have been killed in recent weeks.
A prosecutor Friday revealed the gang connections during a court appearance for two men charged in the Wednesday shooting near 40th and Maple Streets.
One of the three people injured in that incident was Jestun R. Haynie, 19, who remained in critical condition Friday at Creighton University Medical Center, his mother said.
Haynie belongs to the 40th Avenue gang, and so did three recent homicide victims, said Deputy Douglas County Attorney Stephanie Shearer. She did not identify the other victims, but another source with information about the investigations said they were:
• Maurice P. Parker, 19, fatally shot Feb. 6.
• Everett Williams, 15, fatally shot Feb. 8.
• Paul Richards, 19, fatally shot March 7.
The two men in court Friday in connection with the Wednesday shooting near 40th and Maple Streets belong to two other gangs, Shearer said.
But they have a common enemy in the 40th Avenue gang, she said.
Laveer Belgrave is a Victor Street Blood, while Demetrius Washington is a Bottom Blood, Shearer said. Both are 18 and are charged with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and three counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony.
Douglas County Judge Stephen Swartz set bail for the two men at $1 million each, four times what Shearer requested. They would have to post $100,000 or 10 percent to be released pending trial.
William Belgrave, 16, Laveer Belgrade's brother, faces the same charges but appeared in court separately because he is a juvenile. He is being charged as an adult. Judge John Huber set William Belgrave's bail at $500,000. He would have to post $50,000 or 10 percent to be released from the Douglas County Youth Center.
Washington has a child on the way, and Laveer Belgrave has a 2-year-old son.
Washington's father declined to comment after the hearing.
According to Shearer, witnesses reported 15 to 20 shots fired Wednesday and saw three or four men leave in a dark Nissan with out-of-state plates. An Omaha officer saw a Nissan with Missouri plates later in the evening and tried to pull it over.
Three or four men ran from the vehicle, and three were caught. A gun was found near the vehicle.
Video surveillance also shows the shooting, Shearer said.
Haynie's mother, who asked not to be named, said authorities think Haynie is a 40th Avenue gang member because of the neighborhood where he grew up.
The shooting that injured Haynie and two girls was the first of five that injured a total of seven people in an eight-hour span. The shootings prompted a wave of stepped-up patrols in north Omaha from Omaha police, the State Patrol and Douglas County sheriff's deputies.
Contact the writer:
444-1279, jason.kuiper@owh.com
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