Pleading guilty last week to a deadly shooting in a Laurelton bodega, a 29-year-old will serve 15 years in state prison, according to the Queens DA.
In court on April 5, Shawn Forde of Jamaica, Queens admitted to manslaughter in an October 2010 shooting a man fatally in the head at a convenience store he was trying to rob.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said that on the night of Oct. 23, 2010, Forde went into Lucky Deli, at 220-26 Merrick Boulevard where his robbery went bad.
He first showed a 45-caliber handgun to the store’s co-owner, grabbed him and slammed his head into the counter—demanding money.
The co-owner, Felix Torres, immediate opened the register and handed over cash, but his brother, Juan Torres, was in the back of the store and came to Felix’s aid.
Juan was shot once in the head by Forde, who then fled the scene.
“The defendant has admitted that his violent actions were responsible for the untimely death of a hardworking father and store owner. As such, the defendant has proven himself unfit for society, and the prison term to be imposed is more than justified,” Brown said.
Forde has been in jail since his Oct. 31, 2010 arraignment.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard L. Buchter, set a sentencing date of May 1 and indicated that he would sentence the defendant to 15 years, according to the DA’s office.
