BRONX, N.Y. — A Bronx man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in a fatal 2021 shooting that killed one man and ultimately led to the death of a bystander, as well as a separate incident involving the attempted murder of an inmate at Rikers Island, prosecutors announced.
Hassan Maxwell, 26, of East 171st Street, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault, and second-degree attempted murder. Bronx Supreme Court Justice Alvin Yearwood sentenced Maxwell on December 19 to 25 years for manslaughter, with concurrent five-year terms for assault and attempted murder.
On April 3, 2021, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Maxwell and an accomplice, both armed, chased 22-year-old Gabriel Casso into the intersection of East 166th Street and Findlay Avenue in Morrisania. The pair fired multiple shots, striking Casso several times. Maxwell’s accomplice was seen standing over Casso and firing toward his head. Casso was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police officers from the 44th Precinct, conducting a nearby traffic stop, pursued the suspects. During the gunfire exchange, a bystander was wounded and later succumbed to his injuries.
While incarcerated at Rikers Island for the shooting, Maxwell attacked and stabbed another inmate in a separate incident, leading to the attempted murder charge.
District Attorney Darcel D. Clark condemned Maxwell’s actions, stating, “The defendant started a chain of events that caused two deaths. He will spend many years in prison for his reprehensible acts of violence.”
