By Daniel Katzive
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that 19-year-old Antjuan Smith has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison for shooting a 37-year-old woman through her apartment peephole. The November 2021 shooting left her blind in one eye.
According to information provided to the WSR by the NYPD at the time, the victim looked through her peephole in response to a knock at the door and was shot in the eye. The District Attorney’s office said Smith went to the apartment to prevent the victim and her family from cooperating with law enforcement. The DA’s office said Smith was a member of a local violent crew operating out of the NYCHA Douglass development. The victim’s one-year-old twins were home at the time of the shooting.
“Antjuan Smith’s actions were calculated and posed a threat to the victim’s children,” said District Attorney Bragg, according to the press release. “This is an extremely serious matter that has forever altered her life through the loss of eyesight. We will not allow guns to be used to terrorize innocent New Yorkers who are simply trying to go about their lives and care for their children.”
Smith was convicted by a jury in May of second degree attempted murder, assault in the first degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
The New York Post reported Wednesday that Smith, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, “shook nervously with his head down” as the sentence was announced.
15 years is light for a permanent, material injury, period
It doesn’t seem obviously wrong to me given that he was 17 when this occurred.
What does the fact that he was 17 have to do with it. He left a person blind in one eye. Age 17 should have no bearing on the length of his sentence.
Let me get this straight …if you shoot someone at the age of 17 you should be given a light sentence? Ridiculous. He knew what he was doing. His sentence should have been longer.
the gunman took away her eyesight in one eye, but it was attempted murder. if she died, and it is amazing she did not, it would have been murder. if anything i think the sentence is too light. however, let’s see how the 17 yr old does in prison over time
He will undoubtedly do terribly and come out worse than he went in. I don’t know of an alternative, but there’s no good outcome here.
yes good and perfect outcome if to put dangerous people away
He’ll be out in 5 years at 24 years of age and continue his criminal life. Should have put him away for good and throw away the keys.
Gunman was just shy of being a legal adult. He is not a child and he wanted to kill the person who was cooperating with law enforcement. What does that say to people who can be witnesses to help with criminal investigations?
He did not get enough time because if there is good behavior, he’ll be out much sooner and that woman will be blind and affected forever after being a good citizen. He should have been tried as an adult.
15 years is all he gets? He is not a child. And, what would HIS family demand if Antjuan Smith was shot blind in one eye?
Yet another light sentence.
Trying to kill a witness, which I’m presuming this woman was. That used to mean something around here. He’ll be out in 5 years. The woman. She’ll never be out
What’s the old saying about an eye for an eye?
I wish the sentence was longer, but given that I feel like a lot of criminals have been almost immediately back on the street, I will take it as it is better than nothing. I don’t think anyone wants to spend even a few years in jail so perhaps it will be a deterrent for someone else considering doing something similar.
Trying to kill a WITNESS in a police investigation. He got off light. What a disgrace!
Seems like far too light a sentence for such a heinous crime.