Surveillance footage captures the moment Tahj Rankine drove a vehicle into a southwest Atlanta gas station to initiate a gang-related drive-by shooting that resulted in a 10-year prison sentence on February 2, 2021 (Department of Justice).
ATLANTA - A 27-year-old man from Tucker was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for his role in a 2021 gang-related drive-by shooting at an Atlanta gas station.
What we know:
Tahj Rankine, known as "Biggz," was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Rankine belonged to the GoodFellas, an Atlanta-based gang that makes money through drug trafficking, robbery and carjacking.
On Feb. 2, 2021, Rankine drove a vehicle while fellow gang members fired dozens of rounds at a gas station storefront.
The shooting was an attempt to target rival gang members, but instead hit an innocent bystander in the foot.
Bullets also hit a car that had children inside during the attack in southwest Atlanta.
Security video shows the vehicle used by GoodFellas gang members to unleash more than 30 rounds of gunfire during a violent ambush at an Atlanta gas station on February 2, 2021 (Department of Justice).
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the specific identities of the other gang members who were inside the vehicles with Rankine.
The current condition of the bystander who was shot has not been updated beyond the initial injury report.
History of the GoodFellas gang
The backstory:
The GoodFellas gang recruits its members from Atlanta neighborhoods as well as local jails and prisons.
They use violence and threats to protect their reputation, territory and various criminal operations.
An individual is seen ducking for cover as members of the GoodFellas gang opened fire on rivals, striking a bystander and a car containing children, at an Atlanta gas station on February 2, 2021 (Department of Justice).
Rankine pleaded guilty on Jan. 12 to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
What's next:
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said the group will continue to target those who disregard public safety and drive violence.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and the Department of Justice, who explained the sentencing and details of the investigation, as well as the FBI and the Homeland Security Task Force.