Young gang member left a ‘trail of blood,’ feds say. He will spend decades behind bars.

A North Jersey-based gang member who admitted gunning down a rival near Irvington High School in 2019 was sentenced Thursday to 28 years in prison, authorities said.
Elijah Williams, a.k.a. “Lil Smith,” 24, pleaded guilty in April to racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations, or RICO, conspiracy, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey.
Williams was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang from 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, the office said.
The gang is responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the state and elsewhere, investigators said.
On Sept. 25, 2018, in Newark, Williams attempted to kill rival gang members and associates by shooting at four people, one of whom was paralyzed, federal prosecutors said.
On March 20, 2019, in Irvington, Williams shot a member of the Jungle Boys gang near the high school in retaliation for the murder of a member and associate of the Rollin’ 60s, authorities said.
“Elijah Williams brazenly shot multiple rival gang members, murdering one, paralyzing another, and leaving a trail of blood,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said in a statement. “Gang shootings jeopardize the safety of innocent residents in our communities and make the public less safe. The sentence handed down today ensures that Williams will spend decades behind bars, away from the streets he terrorized.”
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at [email protected].