Nassau Man Convicted Of Murder In 2019 Drive-By Shooting: DA

MINEOLA, NY — A Hempstead man associated with the Bloods gang was convicted of murder in a 2019 drive-by shooting that took the life of a 36-year-old man, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced.

Taiquan Cullum, a/k/a “Tay Tay,” 35, was convicted on Thursday of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, prosecutors said.

The jury deliberated for less than five hours before delivering their verdict.

“This was a cowardly act of retaliation that took the life of an innocent man who had no connection to the dispute between the defendant and a neighborhood rival,” Donnelly said. “Taiquan Cullum chose to answer violence with violence, and in doing so has forever devastated Paul LaRue’s family.

During the overnight hours on July 28, 2019, Cullum was at D’Ambiance bar in Baldwin and was shot at seven times by Jermaine Grant because of a perceived dispute between Cullum and acquaintances of Grant, Donnelly said.

After the attempt on his life, Cullum went to Hempstead to retrieve a gun and picked up co-defendant Deion Barros to assist him in finding the individual who shot at him, prosecutors said.

Cullum and Barros drove around Hempstead and came across Paul LaRue, a friend of Grant who was also at the bar during the attempted murder but not involved in the shooting. LaRue was sitting in his vehicle stopped at a red light at the intersection of Clinton Street and Fulton Avenue, Donnelly said.

They pulled alongside LaRue’s Mercedes Benz and Barros allegedly opened fired approximately three times, killing LaRue. Cullum and Barros then drove off, the D.A.'s office said.

The case against Barros, 29, is pending, prosecutors said.

Grant was found guilty in October 2022 second-degree attempted murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Cullum is due back for sentencing on August 25 and faces a potential maximum of 40 years to life in prison, Donnelly said.

Patch attempted to get a comment from his attorney Gilbert Bayonne.