Bronx DAs charges against gang members expose the disturbing trend of NYs Raise the Age law

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark this week charged 19 reputed gang members with a range of criminal charges, including conspiracy, attempted murder, assault and weapons-related crimes.And every single one of these thugs, save the leader, was a minor.Is there more compelling evidence that New York’s Raise the Age law is a horrific failure?The charges follow a 13-month long investigation into the “McKillville” gang’s turf war with rivals, which featured all manner of shootings, conspiracies, assaults — and pure terror for the community.Prosecutors say the minors were 14- to 17-year-old boys who older men “urged” to “elevate themselves” by “committing attempted murders and assaults.”Their alleged leader, 28-year-old gang leader Tyreik “Tubby” Seth, even told the kids to shoot rivals, “and they did so,” added Clark, “to win their leader’s favor.”It’s a downright disturbing trend: During the six year after the passage of the Raise the Age law — which upped the age for criminal responsibility as an adult from 16 to 18 — the number of juvenile shooters spiked nearly 200%.The law meant minors would rarely face serious consequences, even for violent crimes, so gang bosses turned to them to do their dirty work.  Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story.Innocent New Yorkers get caught in the crossfire.Yet progressives — and, most shamefully, Gov.

Kathy Hochul — stand by this sick system, thinking they’re doing the kids a favor by saving them from paying a stiff price.They couldn’t be more wrong: The kids instead learn the lesson that crime pays; many wind up embarking on long criminal careers that wreck their lives.Clark was right to slam the law as she announced the charges.Indeed, the District Attorneys Association of the State of New Yor...