Teen gang banger, drill rapper, 17, already a ‘career criminal’ with 20 busts
Julian Turner, who raps under the name B-Dot, allegedly shot a man from the back of a scooter when he was 14, officials said. baby_bdot/instagram
A 17-year-old Bronx gang member with a staggering 20 arrests is being called a prime example of the failures of New York’s controversial “Raise the Age” law, according to police sources.
Julian Turner — a drill rapper known as “Baby B-Dot” and an alleged member of the “Young Gunnaz” gang — was arrested again on October 10 for gun possession at Penn Station, court records show. Turner, who was first arrested at age 14 for shooting a man, continues to face serious charges despite multiple past offenses.
“You’ve got a 17-year-old kid who already tried to kill people with a gun and is still walking around armed,” one Manhattan police officer said. “What do you think he’s going to do? He’s going to shoot someone.”
Turner’s long criminal record has unfolded entirely since the 2017 “Raise the Age” legislation took effect. The law, passed by left-wing lawmakers, raised the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 — a move meant to keep minors out of the adult justice system. But critics say it’s backfiring badly.
“Raise the Age doesn’t allow judges to consider prior history when deciding what to do with these kids,” said retired NYPD Assistant Commissioner of Youth Services Kevin O’Connor. “Here he is at 17 — a career criminal. How many people have to get shot before they change this law?”
Turner, who remains on parole for juvenile offenses until August 2026, was spotted last week on the A/C/E subway platform at Penn Station by an MTA worker who saw him and another teen flashing gang signs. The worker also noticed Turner fidgeting with something in his waistband and alerted nearby officers.
When police confronted him, Turner allegedly resisted and wrestled with officers — a struggle captured on bodycam footage. Cops later found a loaded handgun with a defaced serial number, according to the criminal complaint.
Turner now faces charges of criminal possession of a weapon and resisting arrest. He is being held on $75,000 cash bail or $175,000 bond.
Just a month earlier, on September 2, Turner allegedly robbed a 32-year-old man at gunpoint in the Bronx, taking his cell phone. He was charged with robbery and weapons possession in that case.
Police say Turner’s criminal record stretches back to when he was just 10 years old. In December 2018, he allegedly threatened two children with a fake gun and punched one of them in the face. Months later, he reportedly slashed a 14-year-old’s ear with a boxcutter, and weeks after that, he allegedly stabbed a 71-year-old woman in the hand after stealing from a street vendor.
At age 14, Turner allegedly fired shots into a Dunkin’ Donuts from a scooter in 2022, narrowly missing bystanders. Just days later, he allegedly shot a 20-year-old man in the leg outside a Bronx restaurant. Then–Chief of Detectives James Essig, speaking at the time, said Turner had already been arrested 18 times by age 14.
Turner was charged with attempted murder and weapons possession and sent to juvenile detention, though details of his sentence remain sealed because of his age.
“There’s no accountability with Raise the Age,” O’Connor said again. “How many people have to be shot or killed before lawmakers fix it?”
Turner’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
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