The two violent gang members who shot 18-year-old Cedirick Steele to death three years ago were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today following their convictions yesterday on first-degree murder and gun charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ANTWAN “TWIZZ” CARTER (D.O.B. 10/13/88) and DANIEL “TRAP” PINCKNEY, Jr. (D.O.B. 7/4/88), both of Boston’s South End, received the mandatory life term this morning. Carter fired the eight shots that killed Steele on March 14, 2007; he was driven to and away from the scene by Pinckney. Both were members of the Mass. Ave. Hornets street gang, with Pinckney said to have been its leader.

Evidence introduced at trial proved that Pinckney and Carter were angry about an earlier shooting that had wounded a fellow gang member. Instead of retaliating against members of the rival gang who allegedly committed that shooting, however, the men intentionally chose an innocent victim at random.

That victim, it turned out, had no part in the conflict: Steele was an honor student at Bunker Hill Community College, was preparing to transfer to North Carolina Central University, and delivered meals to the elderly. He had locked his keys in his car that afternoon and was waiting for a relative across the street from a middle school when he was gunned down in broad daylight.

“These defendants were afraid to take their fight to someone who could shoot back,” Conley said. “They knew where their rivals were, and they drove away from those rivals. Instead they shot and killed an unarmed, unsuspecting, uninvolved teenager. It was stupid, it was evil, and it was cowardly. Two thugs who never contributed a single thing to their community robbed the world of a promising young man who had done more good in his short life than they could ever hope to achieve.”

Prior to imposing the sentences, Judge Linda Giles heard impact statements from Steele’s parents.

“Everywhere he went, he shined,” said Natasha Steele, his mother. “He had a smile so big. He set a path for his brothers to walk in. I go to the cemetery and I speak to him. It’s not fair. I miss him so much.”

“It was 18 years of work to make him the person he was,” said Kenneth Way, the slain teen’s father, who recalled trips to theme parks, apple orchards, and other diversions from the street. “My main purpose in life was to let him experience all the things I never did …. I just hope people learn from this. There’s more to Boston than just these streets.”

Carter and Pinckney were convicted after their third trial. Two earlier proceedings in late 2009 and early 2010 ended in mistrials after the juries declared themselves hopelessly deadlocked. Yesterday’s verdict came after about two weeks of testimony and about a day and a half of deliberations.

“It’s been a long ordeal for Cedirick’s family and friends,” Conley said. “We know this brings no joy, but it may bring some comfort and satisfaction that justice has at long last been done in his name.”

First Assistant District Attorney Josh Wall prosecuted the most recent trial. Assistant District Attorney Paul Treseler led the grand jury investigation that ended with indictments against Carter and Pinckney. Kara Hayes, the chief of Conley’s Victim Witness Assistance Program, was the assigned victim-witness advocate.

Defense attorneys Barry Wilson and James Greenberg represented Carter and Pinckney, respectively.