Gang Member Sentenced In Shooting That Left Nassau Teen Paralyzed

A Hempstead gang member was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday for the 2015 attempted murder of a 14-year-old boy, which left the teen quadriplegic.

Manuel Sosa-Marquez, 24, was convicted by a jury on Oct. 12 of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The jury deliberated lasted for only three hours.

"Manuel Sosa-Marquez gunned down an innocent 14-year old boy who was riding his bicycle near the park and left his victim a quadriplegic for the rest of his life," said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. "With today’s sentence, this gang member will now spend the next three decades of his life in prison for his reprehensible actions."

On Aug. 6, 2015, at around 11:50 a.m., the 14-year-old boy 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 (SWP) gang, pulled up on the opposite side of the street in a Blue Honda Civic and fired three shots at the teen, 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 teen, 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 victim, 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