Tonawanda man sentenced to seven years after gun charge conviction

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Tonawanda man was sentenced to seven years in prison Tuesday morning after being convicted of a gun charge in September 2023 in connection to a slaying in 2022, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said.

On April 20, 2022, 24-year-old Michael Atkinson shot and stabbed 19-year-old Harith Mohamed Al-Khalaf during a fight near River Road in the Town of Tonawanda. The victim died from injuries shortly after, officials said.

Atkinson was found guilty of one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, but was acquitted of the manslaughter charge.

He had originally facing up to 15 years in prison. His sentence will be followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here .