Sean Brown, 21, admitted to killing Aamir Griffin in October 2019 at the Baisley Park Houses in South Jamaica.
On Wednesday morning, he tried to withdraw his plea deal, but the judge would not allow it.
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He was sentenced to 25 years behind bars and five years post release supervision in Griffin's death. He also got an additional five years for criminal possession of a weapon to run consecutively.
Aamir's mother, Shanequa Griffin, gave a tearful impact statement describing just how heartbreaking this has been for her. She was asked what she thought of her son's killer trying to change his mind about his plea.
"I'm glad the judge saw fit, read him back when he spoke up, and it went the way I wanted to go today so I didn't have to deal with this anymore," she said. "It doesn't change the fact that my son is no lo longer here. So, a little bit of closure."
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Griffin was being recruited by high schools and was shot simply because he was on his home court playing basketball.
"Aamir Griffin's killer has been brought to justice, but we know the heartache continues for his loved ones," Katz said. "No child should feel unsafe going to a park and no parent should ever have to bury a child. Gang gun violence has caused too much harm in our communities. We will continue to do everything in our power to get illegal guns off our streets in order to prevent another family from suffering such a tragedy."
Police say Brown believed he was shooting at a rival gang member amid a bitter and bloody war between two gangs.
In January, Brown stunned the courtroom when he backed out at the last minute of an initial plea arrangement.
However, he finally pleaded guilty in March in connection to the shooting and admitted to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the 2019 slaying. He also also pleaded guilty to a weapon possession charge in an unrelated case.
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