The two remaining suspects in the slaying of a onetime aide to Gov. Cuomo were cleared of murder charges Wednesday — eliciting howls of outrage from the victim’s stunned family members.
“Where’s the justice,” screamed Aaron McNaughton, brother-in-law of Carey Gabay, who was struck by a stray bullet fuired at the Caribbean-themed J’ouvert festival in 2015.
“My brother was murdered, where’s the justice?”
Family members of Gabay were beside themselves as the jurors instead returned lesser convictions for manslaughter and reckless endangerment, respectively, against codefendants Micah Alleyne and Stanley Elianor.
“You should be ashamed of this, all of you,” McNaughton shrieked, pointing at the jury as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Prior to the outburst, widow Trenelle Gabay muttered “this is ridiculous,” and tried to leave her seat in the gallery before she, too, was told to settle down by court officers.
“Please, let me out,” she begged, fighting her way through people and running out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors argued that the men were part of a gang war that broke out during the pre-Labor Day celebration in September 2015 in Crown Heights, a pre-dawn precursor to the annual West Indian-American Day parade.
Gabay was struck in the head by a stray bullet as he and McNaughton ran for cover. The legislative aide died two weeks later, after being taken off life support.
Jurors previously acquitted co-defendant Keith Luncheon of all charges, and convicted Kenneth Bazille of a lesser manslaughter charge.
Alleyne appeared expressionless as he learned his fate, but Elianor — who took the verdict with hands clasped in prayer — beamed widely and mouthed, “Thank you, thank you” to the panel.
He then turned to prosecutors Emily Dean and Olatokunbo Olaniyan, and smirked.
“The promising life of Carey Gabay — a husband, brother, son and dedicated public servant — was cut short far too soon as a result of that early morning gang violence,” a spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “While we are disappointed by the verdict, we thank the jury for its service.”
Alleyne faces up to 15 years in prison, while Elianor faces 7 years when sentenced.
They’re scheduled to return to court Sept. 12.