Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Ralph Sozio, the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York; and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of AUSTIN MORRISHOW, who was charged with possessing ammunition after conviction of a felony. MORRISHOW and a co-defendant, CURTIS WHITE, were congregated outside on a busy sidewalk in the Bronx the Friday before the July Fourth holiday weekend last year when they fired multiple shots at three cars in the Bronx, New York, hitting and seriously injuring a five-year-old child sitting in the backseat of one of the cars. MORRISHOW, who had been on the run since June 30, 2023, following the shooting, was arrested in the Bronx, New York. MORRISHOW’s and WHITE’s cases are assigned to District Judge Loretta A. Preska. MORRISHOW was presented and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis and WHITE was previously arrested and arraigned before District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Austin Morrishow recklessly fired multiple rounds of illegally possessed ammunition at innocent New Yorkers, striking and injuring a young child and endangering the lives of other bystanders. Instead of turning himself in, Morrishow fled for over seven months. This arrest keeps our promise to work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to track down and capture fugitives—whether it takes seven days, seven weeks, or seven months—and bring them to justice.”
U.S. Marshal Ralph Sozio said: “This was another successful takedown of an alleged dangerous fugitive, who was involved in the shooting of an innocent 5-year-old girl. I want to thank the Southern District of New York Warrant Squad, the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the NYPD for their relentless pursuit in apprehending him without incident. This is a true testament that we will be relentless in our pursuit to bring you to justice, making our city streets safe.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “This arrest is about intelligence-driven crime-fighting and, above all else, consequences. If you commit a violent felony in New York City, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will build a case to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. I thank our unremitting NYPD detectives, and all the members of the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force, for taking another alleged criminal off our streets.”
As alleged in the Indictment and the Complaint:[1]
On June 30, 2023, MORRISHOW and WHITE were gathered outside at a makeshift memorial for an individual who had been shot and killed the day before. A tan sedan was parked nearby with a five-year-old girl in the backseat and her father in the front seat, waiting for two friends to arrive so that they could attend a car show. After the two friends arrived in a silver sedan and red minivan, the driver of the silver sedan pulled next to the tan sedan, revving his engine and causing it to backfire. The sound of the backfire caused MORRISHOW, WHITE, and others to scatter.
MORRISHOW took cover behind a parked vehicle and fired a .40 caliber pistol multiple times at the three cars, which began fleeing from the gunfire. A still image from surveillance video footage is below with MORRISHOW circled in red.
WHITE ran down the street after the fleeing cars, firing a .380 caliber pistol. A still image from surveillance video footage is below with WHITE circled in red.
After the victim’s father drove his daughter to safety a couple blocks away, he got out of his car to check on his daughter. Realizing that she had been shot in the back, he held her in his arms and yelled for somebody to call an ambulance. The driver of the silver car called 911. Minutes later, NYPD officers arrived and transported the victim to the hospital.
The NYPD subsequently recovered seven .40 caliber shell casings from the vicinity of the parked car near where MORRISHOW fired his gun, two .380 caliber shell casings from the street near where WHITE fired his gun, and a .380 caliber firearm from an apartment that WHITE was seen entering immediately after the shooting. MORRISHOW was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior federal conviction for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a narcotics conspiracy, and WHITE was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior state conviction for attempted first-degree assault with intent to cause serious injury with a weapon.
MORRISHOW, 26, and WHITE, 26, both of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work by the U.S. Marshals Service and the NYPD to apprehend MORRISHOW. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their participation in the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry J. Fang is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint and Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
