A Brooklyn man convicted of killing a 21-year-old during a Fourth of July house party in 2020 has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced Friday.
Thomas Massenburg, 23, was found guilty in September 2024 of multiple charges, including Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, following a jury trial before Judge Howard Sturim.
“The Fourth of July should be a day of celebration, but this defendant turned a backyard party into a violent and tragic scene,” DA Donnelly said. “His sentence today ensures that he will no longer pose a threat to our communities.”
Deadly Altercation at Massapequa Party
According to prosecutors, Massenburg, an alleged member of the Mac Baller Bloods gang from Brooklyn, attended a Fourth of July house party on West Drive in Massapequa alongside other gang members.
At around 11:15 p.m., a fight broke out in the basement between Massenburg’s group and another attendee, Rashawn Cummings, a friend of co-defendant Learyk Jarvis.
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Jarvis allegedly brandished a gun and ordered everyone to leave.
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Massenburg then obtained a loaded weapon from his friend Quran Blue and shot Cummings once in the leg and once in the back, killing him.
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Massenburg also shot another man in the arm and twice in the buttocks—the victim survived.
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In the chaos, Jarvis allegedly shot Massenburg in the groin.
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After the shooting, Massenburg handed the gun to Blue, who went outside and fired five more shots into the air before fleeing.
Arrests and Sentences
Massenburg was arrested nearly a year later on June 3, 2021 by Nassau County police.
Other co-defendants received lesser sentences:
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Learyk Jarvis pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon and was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison with five years’ post-release supervision in April 2023.
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Quran Blue also pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon and was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison with five years’ post-release supervision in June 2023.
Senior Litigation Counsel Stefanie Palma led the prosecution under Bureau Chief Jared Rosenblatt and Executive Assistant District Attorney Kevin Higgins.
