NEW YORK – Austin Morrishow, 27, pled guilty today to illegally possessing ammunition, a charge related to his involvement in a shooting that occurred on June 30, 2023, in the Bronx. Morrishow and his co-defendant, Curtis White, fired multiple shots at cars on a residential street, one of which struck and seriously injured a five-year-old girl.
Morrishow entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who had previously presided over White’s guilty plea on February 5, 2025.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2023, Morrishow, White, and several others were standing on a sidewalk in the Bronx when a car engine backfired. Morrishow, believing the noise was a gunshot, took cover and opened fire with a .40 caliber pistol at three nearby cars, which began fleeing the area. White, carrying a .380 caliber pistol, chased the cars and continued firing.
The shooting left multiple shell casings, bullet fragments, and shattered vehicle windows on the street. Tragically, one of the bullets struck the five-year-old girl sitting in the back of a parked car, and she was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Morrishow was not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition due to his prior federal conviction for using and carrying a firearm in a narcotics conspiracy. White, similarly, had a prior state conviction for attempted assault with intent to cause serious injury using a weapon.
Both men pled guilty to one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Morrishow is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and White will be sentenced on May 20, 2025.
The case was investigated by the New York City Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry J. Fang.