Teen Suspect Pleads Not Guilty To Murder Charges In DeKalb Avenue Shooting

The 17-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old outside Applebee’s and the DeKalb Avenue subway station on October 26 insists he is not guilty of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and other charges — and that it was one of his friends who pulled the trigger.

As first reported in the New York Daily News, Malik Peters was indicted Wednesday, December 9, on charges surrounding the death of 16-year-old Armani Hankins. He could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The case against him maintains that he and his crew — a term used to refer to small gangs — from Fort Greene had been “jumped by members of the victim’s crew earlier in the day,” leading them to seek them out for a second fight.

Peters acknowledged seeking Hankins and his crew out, but that someone from Hankins’ group threatened him with a knife and that’s when the fight escalated.

Peters reportedly is a member of the 900 Crew in Fort Greene, while Hankins was from the 4 To 5 Crew in East New York.