FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in
Prison For Brownsville Execution-Style Shooting
Defendant Shot Victim Multiple Times at Close Range in NYCHA Courtyard
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a man seated on a bench in the courtyard of a public housing complex in Brownsville. The defendant fired five rounds at the unarmed victim and fled the scene.
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “This was a senseless, execution-style killing of a man who posed no threat. The victim was simply sitting outside when the defendant chose to open fire and take his life, robbing a boy of his father. Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for this horrific act, and I hope it brings a sense of justice to the victim’s loved ones.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Corey Townsend, 42. He was sentenced today to 25 years to life in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Eugene Guarino. The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on April 8, 2025, following a jury trial.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 17, 2020, at approximately 9:05 p.m., the defendant approached Romaine Mazyck, 47, as he sat on a bench in the courtyard of the Howard Houses at 80 Osborn Street in Brownsville. The defendant then fired five rounds at close range, striking the victim multiple times in the head and torso, and fled the scene.
The victim was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The defendant was arrested on March 19, 2021.
Trial testimony established that the victim was unarmed and seated when the defendant shot him. The defendant later gave conflicting accounts of the shooting, which the court found to be unreliable and inconsistent with the evidence.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Evan Hannay, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Colby Levin, of the District Attorney’s Orange Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.
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