BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Tuesday that a Buffalo man pleaded guilty to one count of attempted assault in the first degree and one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
On Jan. 19, 2021, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the victim was sitting inside his vehicle when he was approached by the defendant, 24-year-old Abdulla Abdalla, on Howell Street in Buffalo.
Abdalla and the victim were engaged in an ongoing dispute involving a woman. During the encounter, the victim saw Abdalla reach inside for an object inside his bag, which the victim believed to be a handgun.
The victim attempted to flee by driving off. As he drove away, Abdalla fired a number of shots from an illegal gun into the vehicle. The victim was not injured by the gunfire but was hit by shrapnel from the driver's side door panel.
The victim drove to a gas station on Niagara Street and Bird Avenue where he called police to report the incident. Buffalo Police investigators recovered one bullet and fragments from the victim's car and six cartridge cases from the sidewalk and curb on Howell Street.
Abdalla will face a maximum of 15 years in prison during his sentencing on March 6, 2023. Abdalla is currently being held without bail.
