NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A major federal trial involving violence between rival gangs on the Peninsula is getting underway in federal court in Norfolk.

Seven members of the 36th Street Bang Squad face various charges involving revenge against the Walker Village Murder Gang.

Three of the seven defendants are implicated in the most serious crimes, including Deshaun Richardson, Martin Hunt, and Xavier Greene. Prosecutors say they were involved in three murders in 2015.

Their turf is in the area of 36th and 37th from Wickham to Madison in Newport News.

Prosecutors say they had an ongoing beef with the nearby Walker Village gang from 2015 through 2017.

According to the indictment, it was triggered by the killing of one of the defendants’ gang by the Walker Village gang.

The charges include three murders in 2015: Dwayne Parker, Domingo Davis and Jada Richardson were all killed.

Also that year, according to court documents, several members of the 36th Street gang including Ryan Taybron followed a Walker Village member home from high school, planning to kill him.

Their target was able to run into an apartment complex and get away.

Court documents show that later that year, in a different case, Ryan Taybron’s mother, grandmother and sister intimidated and threatened a shooting victim into recanting his testimony against Taybron.

One of the seven defendants on trial, Eric Nixon, is representing himself on an attempted murder charge. Chief Judge Mark Davis reminded Nixon that he is entitled to have an attorney, but he declined.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the process was just getting started of selecting 12 jurors and two alternates from a pool of 90 people. Judge Davis says he expects the trial to last from four to six weeks.