Man gets 10 years for shooting 5-year-old boy in head in the Bronx
BRONX, New York City (WABC) -- A man who opened fire on a Bronx street and inadvertently shot a 5-year-old boy in the head was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday.
Michael Quiles, 29, was found guilty of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on March 26 but was acquitted of attempted murder and first-degree assault.
The shooting happened around 5 p.m. on June 5, 2017, on Washington Avenue in the Morrisania section.
Quiles was in possession of a loaded firearm while arguing with two men with whom he was having a dispute, and those men were armed with knives as they approached him.
Quiles, who was on parole at the time, fired multiple shots.
One bullet struck Jaheem Hunter, who was celebrating his fifth birthday. His father and sister rushed him to the hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries.
He suffered severe brain damage and continues to live with the repercussions from the shooting.
"Any defendant on parole, carrying a gun in broad daylight should receive the maximum sentence under the law, which is 15 years," District Attorney Darcel Clark said. "The young victim miraculously survived a gunshot to the head but continues to struggle with the injuries. An innocent child's life has been utterly changed."
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