Teens Arrested In Largest Gang Bust In NYC History Were Caught On Facebook

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After a 4-year-long investigation by the NYPD, 103 alleged gang members were indicted Wednesday in what authorities are calling "the largest gang takedown in New York City's history," thanks mostly to the long history of Facebook evidence the teenage gang members left on their profiles.

Early Wednesday morning, 500 NYPD officers busted two West Harlem housing projects to arrest alleged gang members in three gangs. Most of those arrested are between 15-20 years old though some are as old as 30.

The gang members were arrested for variety of criminal charges: 2 murders, 19 non-fatal shootings, and 50 shootings where "nobody was hit."

Vice reports "[they] are also accused in a long list of stabbings, slashings, assaults, robberies, and firearms possession."

Vice on the social media activity of the gang members:

The word "Facebook" shows up 162 times in one of the indictments and 171 in the second. Here's a brief selection of the very thinly veiled exchanges between the indicted teens:

"3Staccs we ain playing games wit dese n**gas locked up we goin bring the pain to these n*ggas letting off shots I got aim for these n**gas heashots ima leave a stain in u n**gas... if you want beef we emptying dem clips running from the D's and my team movin quick"

"I clapped at your man salendine them tnd n*ggas them nd the m.a. n**gas on 25th and 7th last weekend"

"Dis Mike Slimes nicca gotta die. Money ave killer sending bullets to they liver!"

"Once we take down one from your block, we'll be good"

"Fuck Manhattanville, someone is going to die tonight."

"Got a man down."