Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Edward Caban, the First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and John DeVito, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), announced charges against AUSTIN MORRISHOW and CURTIS WHITE for possessing ammunition after conviction of a felony. MORRISHOW and WHITE were congregated outside on a busy sidewalk in the Bronx the Friday before the July Fourth holiday weekend 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. WHITE was arrested this morning in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, pursuant to a criminal Complaint and was presented earlier today in the Southern District of New York before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. MORRISHOW remains at large.
NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban said: “We promised this little girl and her family that we would not rest until the criminals involved in her shooting were identified, located, and held accountable. True to our word, we vow that the actions of any repeat violent offender who uses an illegal gun on our streets will never be tolerated – there will always be consequences.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John DeVito said: “Today’s arrest sends a clear message that violent criminals will be met with swift justice for their blatant criminal acts. Any shootings carried out on the streets of NYC are reprehensible let alone one that caused harm to innocent bystanders and a child. This callous disregard for life has no place in our communities, and ATF will work hand in hand with all our partners to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[[1]]
On June 30, 2023, the victim — a five-year-old girl — was sitting in the backseat of her father’s tan sedan, which was double-parked in front of a residential building in the Bronx near a group of individuals who were gathered outside at a makeshift memorial for an individual who had been shot and killed just the day prior. The victim’s father, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, was waiting for two friends to arrive to attend a car show in Queens. The two friends arrived at approximately 7:00 p.m. — one driving a silver sedan and the other driving a red minivan. A still image from surveillance footage is below with the three cars circled in red and the gathering circled in yellow:
As the driver of the silver sedan pulled next to the victim’s father, the driver of the silver sedan revved his engine. The victim’s father cautioned his friend not to accelerate the car to avoid the vehicle backfiring and the sound being mistaken for gunshots. But it was too late. The silver sedan backfired, causing the group of individuals — including MORRISHOW and WHITE — 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 his 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.
In the wake of the shooting, the NYPD recovered a .380 caliber firearm from an apartment unit that WHITE entered immediately after the shooting before exiting shortly thereafter. A photograph of the .380 caliber firearm recovered by the NYPD is below:
The NYPD also recovered seven .40 caliber shell casings from the vicinity of the parked car near where MORRISHOW fired his gun, as well as two .380 caliber shell casings from the street near where WHITE fired his gun. 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, 25, 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 investigative work of the NYPD and the ATF and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
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 are merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
