More Than 100 Arrested During Largest Gang Takedown in New York City History

Nearly 700 NYPD officers and federal agents were involved in the massive operation.

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Following a 16-month investigation into a recent spike in violence, New York City officials have now claimed the biggest gang takedown in the city's history. 120 arrests were made during early morning raids near the Eastchester Gardens housing complex, according to the New York Daily News. "If you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could be shot, stabbed, and even killed," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters of the region's recent troubles.

Nearly 700 NYPD officers were joined by federal agents via armored vehicles and helicopters during the raids, with ABC Newsreporting that rival gangs 2Fly YGz and Big Money Bosses were "taken down from top to bottom" during the massive operation. "We bring these charges so that all New Yorkers, including those in public housing, can live their lives as they deserve: free of drugs, free of guns, and free of gang violence," Bharara said of the charges, which include as many as five homicides.

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Sadie Mitchell, 92, was reportedly watching TV inside her Bronx residence in 2009 when a stray bullet from one of those believed to have been arrested during Wednesday's raids entered her living room window. That bullet, ABC News reports, ultimately punctured Mitchell's lung and resulted in her death. Jeffrey Belmore, 15, is also believed to have been stabbed to death by one gang member in May of last year.

The Daily News lists additional charges brought against the gang members as including robbery, credit card fraud, conspiracy, and illegal Oxycodone trade. "If you live in public housing, you also have the right to live in a clean and safe development," federal prosecutors told reporters. "It's clear that many are not getting that." Additional suspects are believed to remain at large after successfully evading authorities during Wednesday's operation.

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