A man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a fatal shooting that occurred during a daytime armed robbery in East Harlem. Faisil McCants, 18, admitted to possessing and brandishing a machine gun in connection with the August 27, 2025 incident, where he fired 15 rounds on a public street, resulting in the death of a 69-year-old bystander. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. Sentencing is scheduled for March 31, 2026.
“Faisil McCants fired 15 bullets in a matter of seconds in the middle of the day, killing a 69-year-old innocent woman who was doing nothing more than standing by her walker on an East Harlem street,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This type of senseless violence cannot and will not be tolerated. The people of this City expect and deserve to be able to walk our streets without fear. Thanks to the swift and tireless work of our partners at HSI and the NYPD, McCants will now face justice for his August 2025 crime. His plea today underscores our Office’s unwavering commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who use guns to destroy communities and lives.”
“Nearly three months ago, Robin Wright’s life was cut short in what can only be described as a senseless, avoidable, and absolutely unacceptable tragedy,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “With today’s guilty plea, an admitted violent criminal will spend decades in prison with no choice but to relive the events—and the decisions—that landed him there, while an innocent woman’s grieving family prepares for their first holiday season without her. Protecting New Yorkers is non-negotiable, and HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use every tool at our disposal in doing just that.”
According to information from court filings and proceedings, McCants and two co-conspirators robbed an individual near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue shortly before noon on August 27. During the robbery, they took backpacks containing marijuana from their target before fleeing north on Madison Avenue toward East 110th Street.
McCants then pulled out a firearm equipped with a machine-gun conversion device from his sweatshirt pocket and fired multiple shots toward their victim’s direction. A woman standing nearby was struck by gunfire while using her walker at the corner of East 110th Street and Madison Avenue; she later died at the hospital.
McCants pleaded guilty to one count involving use and possession of a machine gun—a charge carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years imprisonment up to life behind bars.
The final sentence will be determined by Judge Rakoff according to federal guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Clayton commended Homeland Security Investigations as well as local police agencies for their investigative efforts leading up to this outcome.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper from the Violent Organizations & Crime Unit.
