Gang Member Convicted For 2015 Attempted Murder

A Hempstead gang member was found guilty of attempted murder on Tuesday for a 2015 incident in which he shot an paralyzed a 14-year-old outside of a park.

Manuel Sosa-Marquez, 24, was convicted of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Sosa-Marquez is due back in court on Nov. 16 for sentencing and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

"The cold-blooded shooting by this Salvadorians with Pride gang member left a 14-year-old boy permanently paralyzed, and illustrates the horrific and senseless violence perpetrated by the gangs that we are working diligently to dismantle," said Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas. "No sentence will restore this young boy’s health, but I hope this conviction gives him and his family some sense of justice, and sends a message to would-be gang members their brutality will be met with harsh consequences."

On Aug. 6, 2015, at around 11:50 a.m., the 14-year-old victim was riding his bicycle on Argyle Avenue and Davis Street in Uniondale to meet friends inside of Uniondale Park. At the same time, Sosa-Marquez, a member of the Salvadorians With Pride gang, pulled up on the opposite side of the street in a Blue Honda Civic and fired three shots at the boy, striking him once in the upper torso. Shell casings were found at the scene and a bullet was removed from the victim’s spine. The pistol used in the shooting was never recovered.

The gunshot wound left the victim, now 17, a quadriplegic. A doctor testified that he is never going to walk again and will eventually die from complications related to the gunshot wound. The teen, who was an avid soccer player, is currently living in a nursing home upstate and has limited use of one arm.

Photo: Nassau County District Attorney's Office