MINEOLA, N.Y. — A Hempstead man was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison for a 2019 drive-by shooting that killed a 36-year-old man, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced April 2, 2026.
Taiquan Cullum, 35, also known as “Tay Tay,” was convicted on June 26, 2025, after a jury trial before Judge Howard Sturim of second-degree murder, an A-I felony, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, C violent felonies.
Core Details
Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from retaliation after Cullum was targeted earlier the same night.
According to the investigation, at approximately 1:57 a.m. on July 28, 2019, Cullum was outside D’Ambiance bar in Baldwin when Jermaine Grant allegedly fired seven shots at him during a dispute.
After surviving the attack, authorities said Cullum traveled to Hempstead, retrieved a firearm, and enlisted co-defendant Deion Barros to help locate the shooter.
The two men then drove through Hempstead searching for Grant.
Instead, they encountered Paul LaRue, a friend of Grant who had been at the bar but was not involved in the earlier shooting.
LaRue was sitting in his Mercedes-Benz at a red light at Clinton Street and Fulton Avenue when Cullum and Barros pulled alongside him and fired three shots into the vehicle, killing him, prosecutors said.
The defendants fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
Expanded Context
Grant was arrested later that morning and charged in connection with the attempted murder of Cullum. He was convicted in October 2022 of attempted murder in the second degree and weapons possession charges and later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Cullum was arrested on August 22, 2023, at the Otisville Correctional Facility by Nassau County Police homicide detectives.
The case against Barros, 29, remains pending.
In a statement, Donnelly said the violence was driven by retaliation and resulted in the death of an uninvolved victim.
Legal Stakes
Second-degree murder is among the most serious charges under New York law, carrying a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
Cullum received a sentence of 35 years to life, meaning he must serve at least 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 40 years to life.
Closing
Cullum has now been formally sentenced, while proceedings against his alleged accomplice are ongoing.
