Alleged Gang Member Guilty of Killing Brothers
A reputed gang member was convicted of triple murder Friday in Los Angeles for shooting a man last year, then gunning down his two brothers days later when they tried to find him.
“My sons can now rest,” Brenda Florence said after a Superior Court jury convicted Craigen Lewis Armstrong, 23, of first-degree murder.
The charges included special circumstances of multiple murder, murder committed during a drive-by shooting and murder carried out to further the activities of a criminal street gang.
The panel returns Sept. 16 to decide whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Armstrong killed Christopher Florence, 21, of Inglewood on Sept. 27, 2001. Torry and Michael Florence, 29 and 27, were shot Sept. 30 as they sought the killer of their younger brother.
Authorities said none of the brothers was a gang member.
Christopher Florence was shot while riding in a car. His brothers were killed in a drive-by attack about half a mile from the earlier killing, police said.
Authorities said the brothers had received a telephone call from someone who claimed to have information about Christopher Florence’s killing.
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