CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.—The air was thick with equal parts hope and frustration at a community meeting in Central Islip on April 18, just a few blocks from where four young men were found murdered less than a week prior.
Politicians, law enforcement, and hundreds of citizens turned out to voice their fears and concerns.
Rep. Peter King (R–N.Y.) spoke of the MS-13 gang, which police say is suspected to be behind the murders.
“MS-13 has to be crushed, it has to be defeated, it has to be destroyed,” King said. He was echoing the sentiment coming from the top echelons of government earlier in the day.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly called MS-13 one of the greatest hazards the nation faces at a speech at Georgetown University, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the gang might qualify as a terrorist organization.
MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadorans fleeing civil war. It has since grown to more than 10,000 members in the United States and is spread throughout El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. One of its mottos is “kill, rape, control.”
In his role as chairman of the subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, King said he intends to hold a field hearing in Central Islip sometime in the next four to six weeks.
“I can assure you, the federal government will cooperate in every way possible,” he said.
One audience member called out to King: “We feel forgotten. We’re like the red-headed stepchild. Make us your pet project. Make us feel like you’re actually with us.”
King replied, “Happy to do it.”
Information Needed
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Tim Sini appealed to the community for information.
“I guarantee you that someone in this room has information about the murders,” he said to the crowd of around 500 people. “By not speaking up, you are hurting your community.”
Sini said the police department works with the FBI to identify gang members. Police officers are then assigned to monitor particular gang members to collect further intelligence and help suppress crime.
