A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the murder of 21-year-old Rashawn Cummings at a Massapequa house party, which occurred on July 4, 2020, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly.
Thomas Massenburg, 23, was convicted of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree after a jury trial on Sept. 26, Donnelly said.
“The Fourth of July should be a day of celebration, but this defendant turned a backyard party into a violent and tragic scene when he shot at multiple partygoers and killed a 21-year-old man,” Donnelly said in a release. “Thomas Massenburg now faces the consequences for his devastating choices that night, and his sentence today ensures that he will no longer pose a threat to our communities.”
Donnelly said that, on July 4, 2020, Massenburg and other alleged members of the Mac Baller Bloods from Brooklyn attended a party on West Drive in Massapequa.
She said that when Cummings, a friend of another defendant, Learyk Jarvis, came to the party, a physical altercation ensued between the two groups in the basement of the home.
Jarvis allegedly told everyone to leave the house and waved a gun in the air, Donnelly said.
Donnelly said during the altercation, Massenburg obtained a loaded gun from Quran Blue, another alleged Mac Baller Blood from Brooklyn, and shot Cummings once in the leg and once in the back.
Donnelly said Massenburg shot another man once in the arm and twice in the buttocks. The man survived the incident, she said. She said Jarvis allegedly shot Massenburg in the groin.
Cummings was pronounced deceased at the scene, Donnelly said.
After the shooting, Massenburg allegedly passed the gun to Blue, who went outside and fired an additional five shots from the weapon.
Massenburg was arrested on June 3, 2021, by members of the Nassau County Police Department, Donnelly said.
