Suspect in 2019 shooting of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin pleads guilty to manslaughter
NEW YORK -- The man accused of killing 14-year-old Aamir Griffin in 2019 has pleaded guilty to several charges, including manslaughter and conspiracy to commit murder.
The Queens district attorney's office announced Sean Brown entered a guilty plea Sunday.
Authorities said Brown apparently mistook Griffin for a rival gang member in October 2019 as he played basketball at the Baisley Park Houses in South Jamaica, Queens.
Griffin was a freshman at Benjamin Cardozo High School and had just made the junior varsity basketball team. He was practicing his jump shot when he was struck by a stray bullet from 100 yards away.
"When I became the DA, I committed to bringing Aamir Griffin's killer to justice. We have succeeded and will continue doing absolutely everything we can to get illegal firearms and the criminals who use them off our streets," Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. "Warring gangs are not just a threat to each other, but to all of us. Whether it was the murder of a schoolteacher walking his dog, a mother running out for milk for her children, or, in this case, a youngster playing basketball with friends, mindless gang gun violence has bloodied our streets and broken our hearts. It has not, however, shaken our resolve."
Earlier this year, Brown rejected a plea deal of 30 years in prison.
The DA's office says he is also pleading guilty to weapons charges in an unrelated case. He faces up to 30 years in prison.