NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Bronx man was sentenced to life in prison in the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander at a Father’s Day barbecue more than two decades ago, officials said Monday.
The 55-year-old, Ralph Berry, was the leader of a violent drug crew which operated out of the McKinley Houses in the South Bronx.
Berry ordered one a hit on a rival drug dealer whom Berry had been feuding over drug territory on June 21, 2000, court documents show.
The hitman, under Berry’s instruction, fired multiple shots into a Father’s Day barbecue which was being held on the McKinley Houses basketball courts.
Instead of hitting his intended target, the bullet hit Caprice Jones, an innocent bystander who was not involved in the drug dispute. Jones was struck in the spine by one of the bullets causing him to be paralyzed from the waist down.
Ten years after the shooting, Jones died at the age of 42 from injuries he sustained from the shooting.
“Ralph Berry callously ordered the shooting of a rival drug dealer that resulted in the senseless murder of Caprice Jones,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “Jones was simply enjoying a Father’s Day barbecue when his life was changed forever. As a result of Berry’s actions, Jones was left paralyzed and ultimately died from his injuries 10 years later. Berry has now been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Berry was convicted of murder after a trial on Sept. 30, 2021.
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