‘Sobbing suspect’ admits guilt in unprovoked Brooklyn murder of social justice advocate Ryan Carson

A young Brooklyn antheral has pleaded blameworthy to the unprovoked sidesplitting of societal justness advocator Ryan Carson successful a caught-on-video stabbing that took spot arsenic Carson and his woman arsenic helium walked down a Brooklyn thoroughfare with his woman connected their mode location from a wedding.

Brian Dowling, 20, pleaded blameworthy to second-degree murder Wednesday, accepting a plea connection from Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun. His sentencing, wherever helium is expected to get 20 years to life,  is slated for Feb. 19.

Dowling 18 astatine the clip of the killing, sobbed arsenic helium was led from a Brooklyn NYPD presumption location in shackles and handcuffs aft his October 2023 arrest. Neighbors described him astatine the clip arsenic a bully kid who got on woth others successful the neighborhood.

“Like an average, mean teenager,” adjacent household person Eric Riddick, 58, told The News. “Just similar immoderate different teenager, uncovering his way, coming up arsenic an adult. … He was moving successful construction. We talked a fewer weeks agone connected the block, and helium seemed fine. He was a large kid.”

Carson, 32, and his woman were sitting connected a seat astatine a autobus halt adjacent Malcolm X Blvd. adjacent Lafayette Ave. successful Bedford-Stuyvesant connected Oct. 2, 2023, erstwhile a man, later identified arsenic Dowling, passed by them.

Carson and his woman stood up and started walking successful the aforesaid absorption erstwhile Dowling started kicking and knocking implicit parked scooters connected the corner. “The f–k are you looking at,” Dowling yelled twice. “Imma termination you close now!”

Carson repeatedly asked Dowling to “chill,” but helium lunged instead,backing the unfortunate and his woman toward the seat they were sitting on. with the antheral to “chill.”

But the attacker alternatively lunged astatine the 6-foot-4 victim, backing him and his woman up toward the seat they were sitting on. He punched Carson, past knifed him respective times arsenic Carson’s woman begged, “Please stop! Please stop!”

Brian Dowling, 18, is walked from the 81st Precinct Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023 successful Brooklyn. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

“Many of america inactive shudder erstwhile recalling the horrific video showing this suspect viciously attacking Ryan Carson and stabbing him to decease for nary crushed astatine all,” Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez said. “Such an unconscionable transgression requires the separation of this suspect from our nine for a precise agelong time, which is ensured by the promised condemnation he’s present facing.”

Carson was described arsenic “one of the rising stars successful our organization” by the enforcement manager of the nonprofit New York Public Interest Research Group, wherever helium worked arsenic a elder coagulated discarded run director.

He was moving connected a task with groups representing vessel and tin collectors pushing for authorities that would grow the types of bottles and cans that tin beryllium redeemed for taxation refunds, arsenic good arsenic summation the 5-cent deposit fee.

Originally Published: January 23, 2025 astatine 11:01 AM EST