The cops have reasons to believe that Petillo and Latchman are members of the George Street Gang.
As we told you last night, the Police's Gang Intelligence, Investigation, and Interdiction Unit is investigating other persons allegedly from the same gang who were captured showing off in a chilling WhatsApp video. They are seen toying with a loaded handgun that carries an extended clip with what appears to be live rounds of ammunition.
We asked the Commissioner about that video this morning, and he said that the cops have already identified the persons pictured, and they will be charged for promoting gang activity:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I had seen the video, and again, it is very disturbing to say the least, to see again that we have some gang elements who believe that they can be showing off with their weapons, on social media, in an intimidating fashion toward their rivals, and even perhaps toward the general public. The video - to say the very least - is one that can be looked at a way of promoting some gang activity. And so, I have forward that video to the GI3's investigation team, and they are working on it to see if we will be able to levy charges against those persons involved. We have identified all the parties in the video, and I am hoping that very soon, we should be able to levy charges against them for using a video to promote gang activity."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, the last time that this matter came up, the subjects of the previous video alleged that either persons with malicious intent or their enemies published it to bring negative attention on them. In this particular instance, can these subjects make such a defense, in your opinion?"
Chester Williams
"They can make such a defense, but I don't know to what extent, it is going to hold. The fact remains that they produced the video. It is not that someone forced their hands, or edited a video and put them in a video that they were not a part of. The video is original, and was created by them, and again, with illegal weapons. So, if they want to raise that defense, it certainly will be a matter for the court to determine if, in fact, they're going to allow that defense to exonerate them from the charges."
As soon as they are formally charged and arraigned, we'll tell you who these latest "gangstars" are.
