SPD FIU Investigation Leads to Seizure of Six Guns, Five Arrests

Four Suspects Out on Bail on Open Gun or Home Invasion Charges, Three outfitted with Ankle Bracelets

Springfield, Mass. — On Saturday June 11 at approximately 6:50 p.m. members of the Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU), C-3 North End and Squad C Officers arrested 22-year-old Kahsim Wilson, 21-year-old Devon Banton, 23-year-old Semaj Hunter, 19-year-old Markendall Johnson and 22-year-old Anas Nichols in the area of College and Maynard Streets.

For more than the past year, Detectives in the Firearms Investigation Unit have been investigating members of a local street gang for the illegal possession and trafficking of firearms.  Members have been arrested for homicide, home invasions and firearm charges.

On Saturday night, a Firearms Investigation Unit investigation led to the seizure of six firearms, including one that is classified as an assault weapon.

Nichols, Wilson and Johnson were out on bail outfitted with GPS ankle bracelets at the time of the arrest.  Nichols and Wilson have open gun charges.  Banton was also out on bail.

“This is another example of how dangerous our profession has become.  Here you have four individuals with serious pending charges, three of them on ankle bracelets and they all have a gun.  This situation could have turned out much different and I’d like to thank our dedicated Firearms Investigation Unit under the command of Captain Brian Keenan, Lt. Julio Toledo and his C3 Unit, our K9 Team and squad officers for assisting and getting this arsenal off the streets.  I can only hope for those with open cases that the terms of their probation are revoked and they are held until their trials,” said Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “Terrific work by our brave and dedicated men and women of our Springfield Police Department.  Yet again, our Firearms Investigation Unit has taken more guns off our streets and out of our neighborhoods from repeat criminal offenders.  These individuals were out on bail and wearing GPS bracelets.  They all have serious prior gun charges and a serious home invasion offense but yet here they are, back on our streets and in our neighborhoods with more guns.  These repeat criminal offenders laugh at our court system because they know there will be no consequences for their actions.  You want to stop gun violence, we need our courts to back our law enforcement agencies and lock up these repeat criminal and gun offenders.  There is only so much our dedicated police officers can do when they continue to arrest the same individuals over and over again on serious gun charges.  If the courts won’t hold them accountable for these serious crimes, then it is only a matter of time before they are arrested again where someone might get hurt or killed.”

On Saturday Detectives received information that Nichols was currently in possession of a firearm.

Detectives located Nichols at the College Street home of Wilson.

While conducting surveillance, Detectives observed Hunter with a firearm under his shirt adjusting the handle of the gun.

Detectives then observed Johnson pulling on the grip of a firearm from his pocket.

Later Detectives observed Nichols outside with a firearm visible in his pocket.

Five minutes later Wilson was seen carrying a bag with a rifle style firearm sticking out of the top.

At this point Detectives and assisting officers attempted to detain all the individuals pending a further investigation.

Four of the individuals began running.

Officers detained Banton in the driveway.

Officers detained Johnson in a backyard of a College Street home.

Nichols was running with a firearm in his hand and tossed it while running.  This was recovered and Nichols was stopped in the backyard of a home on Maynard Street and eventually detained.

Hunter was detained on Maynard Street and Wilson was arrested inside his College Street home.

K9 Officer Scott Stelzer and K9 Yogi located a Glock 27 firearm dropped by Johnson loaded with nine rounds of ammunition and a Glock 23 tossed by Nichols.

Detectives recovered a loaded MAG Tactical System Rifle capable of holding 30 rounds inside the bag that Wilson was carrying which is classified as an assault weapon.

A Glock with a defaced serial number, with a 22 round magazine loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition was on the floorboard of a vehicle in the driveway.

A Glock loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition was on the other floorboard of the same vehicle.

A Colt was recovered in the driveway where Hunter was standing before he fled.

None of the firearms had a locking mechanism.

One firearm was reported stolen out of Connecticut another stolen out of South Carolina.

The Springfield Police Department’s Firearms Investigation Unit has seized 84 illegally possessed firearms in 2022.

22-year-old Anas Nichols of Springfield is charged with:

  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License
  • Improper Storage of a Firearm
  • Parole Violation Warrant
  • Receiving Stolen Property Less than $1200
  • Resisting Arrest
  • Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug

23-year-old Semaj Hunter of Springfield is charged with:

  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License
  • Improper Storage of a Firearm
  • Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug
  • Receiving Stolen Property Less than $1200

19-year-old Markendall Johnson of Chicopee is charged with:

  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License
  • Improper Storage of a Firearm
  • Parole Violation Warrant
  • Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug
  • Malicious Damage to Property

21-year-old Devon Banton of Springfield is charged with:

  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Loaded Large Capacity Firearm on a Public Way
  • Carrying a Loaded Large Capacity Firearm on a Public Way
  • Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm
  • Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm
  • Firearm with a Defaced Serial Number
  • Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug

22-year-old Kahsim Wilson of Springfield

  • Carrying a Firearm without a License
  • Carrying a Loaded Large Capacity Firearm on a Public Way
  • Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm
  • Assault Weapon – Unlicensed Possession
  • Parole Violation Warrant
  • Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug