Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
A Bronx man, Austin Morrishow, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing ammunition related to a shooting that seriously injured a five-year-old girl. The sentence, announced by United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, is the maximum allowed by law.
Morrishow had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who also sentenced his co-defendant Curtis White earlier this month.
“On June 30, 2023, Austin Morrishow and his co-defendant, Curtis White, fired several shots while attending a sidewalk vigil for someone who, in a sad twist of irony, was killed in a shooting,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Morrishow’s brazen acts left a bullet in a five-year-old child’s chest. Instead of accepting responsibility, Morrishow remained a fugitive for eight months. Today’s sentence sends an important message: if you threaten the lives of innocent New Yorkers through senseless gun violence, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, Morrishow and White were at a vigil on June 30 last year when gunfire erupted after one of three nearby cars backfired. Morrishow took cover behind a parked vehicle before firing multiple rounds from a .40 caliber pistol at the cars as they fled. White then chased after the vehicles and fired his own weapon.
The shooting resulted in at least seven .40 caliber shell casings and two .380 caliber shell casings being found at the scene. Bullet fragments and damage were discovered on nearby parked cars. One bullet struck a five-year-old girl sitting in one of the fleeing vehicles; she survived but suffered serious injuries.
Both men fled following the incident. While White was apprehended shortly after the shooting in July 2023, Morrishow evaded authorities until February 2024.
At the time of this crime, Morrishow was prohibited from possessing ammunition due to previous felony convictions—including an earlier federal conviction involving firearms during a narcotics conspiracy—and was serving supervised release for that offense. White also had prior state convictions prohibiting him from having firearms or ammunition.
In addition to his prison term, Morrishow received three years of supervised release and must pay restitution to the victim. White was previously sentenced to over four years in prison with similar conditions regarding supervised release and restitution.
Jay Clayton commended investigative efforts by the New York City Police Department as well as support from federal agencies involved in apprehending both defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry J. Fang handled prosecution duties for this case within the Office’s General Crimes Unit.
