• 2025-12-10 19:07:27
• Gun Violence

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella on Dec. 4 filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against a man investigators believe is a high-ranking Bloods gang member and is accused of a 2021

Kendrick Seymore, 22, of Coram, was indicted in

His co-defendants in the indictment were not involved in the triple slaying, according to prosecutors.

In the notice, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Joseph Nocella says that if

While the state of New York does not have the death penalty, it can be sought in cases tried within the state that are under federal jurisdiction.

Patch has reached out to Seymore's defense attorneys for comment.

Florian Miedel could not be immediately reached.

His co-counsel, Joshua Horowitz, who is also based in New York City, declined to comment on the case.

Seymore is due back in court on Jan. 22, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Seymore used deception to render Knox and Schick defenseless and unsuspecting of their immediate danger, then killed them to prevent them from being eyewitnesses to Castano's death, Nocella in his notice.

"The injury, harm, and loss caused by Seymore with respect to each victim is evidenced by each victim's personal characteristics and by the impact of that victim's death upon his or her family, friends, and associates," he continued.

Seymore is likely to commit "criminal acts of violence in the future such that he poses a continuing and serious threat to the lives and safety of others," the notice continues.

It's evidenced by his participation in a continuing pattern of violence before his arrest, his ongoing membership in the Gorilla Stone Bloods, a criminal organization with a significant and growing presence in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and his continued criminal conduct while incarcerated, including a violent assault against another inmate on or about June 24, 2024, according to the notice.

He has also made statements expressing his willingness to kill witnesses related to the slayings, the notice states.

Previous Attorney General Merrick Garland in December 2024 directed prosecutors to not to seek the death penalty against Seymore and a co-defendant, Dwayne Murray, according to the notice. The decision not to seek death for Murray, who is charged in a separate slaying, remains unchanged, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Prosecutors allege Seymore, and others, used guns to threaten harm and rob a safe, cash, and passports from Castano, who sold drugs in Suffolk County, and are responsible for fatally shooting him, as well as Knox, and Schick.

Homicide Squad chief Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer said police responded to the Overlook Drive home at about noon after a relative called 911, alerting them that they went to check on them and believed them to be dead.

Officers found Castano, 31, and Schick, 24, both residents of the house, and Knox, 20, of Georgia, with fatal gunshot wounds, police said.

Police did not say what room the infant was in at the time of the shooting.

Investigators initially determined someone possibly kicked in the door to the apartment and broke the doorjamb to gain access inside, Beyrer said.

It was not initially clear if the shooting was targeted, but police said the victims' backgrounds would help them make the determination.

Family members at the scene told a reporter that they were not supposed to speak with anyone.

Newsday reported that Jacqueline Wiggins, a family friend, learned of the deaths from her son. She told the outlet

"There is a lot of heartbreak here," she said, adding, "Everyone is hurting. They were just trying to live their lives, so they didn't deserve this. I don't know why this happened."

A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said the apartment complex has been relatively quiet and shocked by the incident. She said she was on her way home from McDonald's when she saw a squadron of police vehicles "flying by" headed down the roadway with sirens blaring as they passed her car.

When she got home at 12:15 p.m., there was "tons of cops."

Another neighbor, who has lived in the complex for 12 years also declined to be identified, but told Patch that she returned home from the gym to see the police scene unfolding before her eyes.

She said there have been other incidents at the complex in the past that have made her feel uneasy, and she did not feel safe walking outside her home at night.

"It's crazy; nobody wants to talk," she added.

The day after the shooting, a police spokeswoman said that the agency's detectives were probing the shooting as a

This story will be updated. Check back later.