Man sentenced in connection with 2023 shooting in downtown Wilmington
A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty in New Hanover County Superior Court on Monday in connection with what New Hanover County Assistant District Attorney Brad Matthews classifies as one of the largest shootings ever seen in downtown Wilmington.
Tyshaun Windham pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious bodily injury and felony larceny, according to a news release from the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office.
More: Teen arrested, charged in connection with October shooting in Wilmington
More: Wilmington man charged with attempted murder after downtown shooting
Windham was sentenced to a maximum of eight years in prison, followed by three years supervised probation for the larceny offense. Windham will also pay $2,217.96 of restitution to the victim of the larceny.
On Oct. 15, 2023, Tristan Allen, a co-defendant in the case, attempted to shoot a rival gang member on a crowded sidewalk near the intersection of Princess Street and Front Street, according to the release. Allen's gun had jammed, and no bullets were fired. The crowd in the surrounding area dispersed.
Minutes later, a related shootout occurred between rival gang members from the 720 Gangster Disciples and the United Blood Nation near the intersection of Princess Street and Second Street, according to the release. Eighty-six rounds were fired by two parties.
Following, at the intersection of Princess Street and Water Street, the original victim targeted by Allen was shot at 12 times by Windham with a 9mm handgun. One of the shots struck the victim in the back, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
“This October incident was one of the largest shootings, as far as number of bullets fired, that we have ever seen in downtown Wilmington,” Matthews said in the release. “As a result, it was absolutely imperative to law enforcement and our office that the individual responsible for inflicting the lone gunshot wound of that evening be held accountable. With over 80 rounds being fired that night, it is truly astonishing no one was killed in this incident."
District Attorney Ben David said the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office has allocated many resources to fight gang-related crime.
“By having two county-funded assistant district attorney positions focused on combating gang and gun violence, incidents like these will continue to be thoroughly investigated and aggressively prosecuted inour district,” David said in the release.Investigators from Wilmington Police Department’s Gun Crimes Task Force investigated the case.
The larceny occurred on Sept. 30, 2023, three weeks prior to the shooting, according to the release. Windham stole a vehicle of a female that he was visiting, causing more than $2,000 in damages to the vehicle.
Allen is scheduled for court on May 13 facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill amongst others.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington man sentenced in connection with 2023 downtown shooting
