FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 20, 2026
Gunman Who Fired 10 Shots into Brooklyn Park, Killing Two Teens and Injuring a Third, Sentenced to 32 Years to Life in Prison
Accomplice Who Drove to Scene Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that two men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for the murders of two teenagers and the attempted murder of a third teenager who were among a group of people hanging out in a Cypress Hills park on a summer evening.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s lengthy prison terms hold these defendants accountable for the brazen murders of Antonio Villa and Kleimer Piron and the attempted murder of a third teenager. While gun violence in Brooklyn has reached record lows, we remain focused on the small number of individuals who put our communities at risk. We will continue to focus on these important cases to ensure that our parks and streets remain safe for every Brooklyn resident.”
The District Attorney identified the defendants as Joshua Bonilla, 29, of Cypress Hills, Brooklyn and Bryant Perez, 20, of East New York, Brooklyn. Bonilla was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on December 16, 2025, following a jury trial. Perez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder on November 5, 2025. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Deepa Ambekar today sentenced Bonilla to 32 years to life in prison and Perez to 20 years to life in prison.
According to the evidence, on July 26, 2020, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the defendants, who were affiliated with the Warblock Street gang, drove in a stolen car to Vermont Street in Cypress Hills in search of rival gang members. The defendants circled the block before they approached George Walker Jr. Park at Vermont Street and Jamaica Avenue, where several teenagers were gathered.
As Perez drove the vehicle, Bonilla fired approximately 10 shots from a .357 caliber handgun into the park. Antonio Villa, 18, and Kleimer Piron, 16, were both shot in the head and killed. A third victim, a 17-year-old boy, was also struck by gunfire, and survived the shooting.
The District Attorney thanked Homicide Paralegal Meghan Brancato and Intelligence Analyst Victoria Genna-Schmidt for their assistance in the investigation.
The cases were prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney James Hamilton, of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.
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