Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 21-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting a 16-year-old teen in broad daylight, leaving him with wounds to the ankle and buttocks. The incident happened during a summer afternoon across the street from a playground.
Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This callous and senseless shooting at a time when children were playing is infuriating. We will continue to vigorously prosecute all instances of gun violence in Brooklyn and seek lengthy prison terms against anyone who fires a weapon on our streets.”
The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Joseph Ackwood, 21, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Ingram to 10 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision following his guilty plea on April 6, 2017 to second-degree attempted murder.
The Acting District Attorney said that on July 25, 2016, at about 4 p.m., the 16-year-old victim was standing with friends outside a bodega located at 2964 Avenue X in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. A playground is situated across the street from that location. The defendant approached on a bicycle, according to the investigation, exchanged words with the victim, then pulled out a .40 caliber firearm from his waistband, chased the victim into the street and fired multiple times.
The victim was struck in the ankle and buttocks. He was hospitalized for over a week. Surveillance footage from the bodega depicted the incident and showed passersby running away from the scene once the shooting started. The defendant, a member of the Young Stackers street gang, was apprehended a month later.