Last July, more than 100 members of the Bellport community came out to celebrate the life of a motorcyclist who had died just days before in a tragic accident. The community was holding a candlelight vigil when their peace was suddenly disrupted by gunshots as Steven Reid went on a shooting spree.
At the end of the ceremony, Reid, a 27-year-old man from Calverton, got into a fight with another man attending the vigil. Reid pulled out a gun and shot the man at point-blank range in his upper right thigh. The bullet shattered the man’s femur, passed through his leg, and lodged into his right shin.
As the crowd dispersed, Reid again shot at another group of attendees, hitting another man from close range. That victim suffered four gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder, and both of his legs. Then again, Reid opened fire twice at a woman in the crowd and then shot at another group of people, including a woman and a nine-year old boy, as they were running away.
Reid fled Long Island but was eventually caught in North Carolina in September.
His violent spree didn’t end there. On December 19, 2023, while in custody at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility, Reid assaulted a 26-year-old corrections officer, hitting the officer several times unprovoked.
On April 19th, Reid pleaded guilty in court to a number of charges including, attempted murder, two felony assaults, and criminal possession of a weapon. He will be sentenced on May 22, 2024 when he is expected to receive 14 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
According to Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr., Reid is a known gang member.
“Thank you to the District Attorney’s office for their swift work in convicting Bloods gang member Steven Reid,” he said in a statement. “In addition to his heinous crimes, Reid also assaulted a correction officer while in our custody. Corrections is not an easy job and people sometimes underestimate the dangers we deal with each day.”
Photo: Suffolk County District Attorney Office.
