New Rochelle Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges In July Shooting

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A New Rochelle man has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a shooting in the Bronx.

Tyriek Skyfield admitted to one count of illegally possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced on Wednesday. The guilty plea comes after Skyfield fired two shots at a victim, one of which hit its target, on a residential street in the Bronx on July 22.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024.

"On a summer night in the Bronx last July, Tyriek Skyfield fired two shots from a handgun at an individual from close range," Williams said. "One shot struck the victim in the foot, injuring him. Today’s plea underscores an important priority of my Office: We will not tolerate gun violence in the Southern District of New York."

SEE ALSO: Feds Charge New Rochelle Man In Bronx Shooting Caught On Video

On July 22, shortly before 10 p.m., Skyfield fired two shots with a handgun at his victim near the intersection of Needham Avenue and East 223rd Street in the Bronx. Surveillance video from a building overlooking the scene showed Skyfield brandishing a firearm at the victim seconds before shooting at him.

Surveillance video then captured Skyfield fleeing down Needham Avenue and onto East 222nd Street. During a canvass of the scene of the shooting, the NYPD recovered a 9mm Luger shell casing from one of the gunshots in the yard of a residential building near the shooting.

After firing the shots, prosecutors say the 31-year-old fled the scene on foot and was picked up outside a nearby building by a white BMX X6 SUV just a few minutes later.

He later traveled to a club in Queens as a passenger in that same car. Video surveillance footage from the club showed Skyfield presenting his ID and entering the club.

The club’s identification records, in combination with video surveillance footage, indicated that the person seen entering the club was Skyfield.

At the time of the shooting, Skyfield was barred from possessing ammunition because of prior felony convictions.

The New Rochelle man pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York State Police and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and he thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance.