Bronx Teen Convicted in Bryant Park Ice Rink Shooting That Paralyzed Boy: Manhattan DA

What to Know

  • The alleged teen gunman that left a man wounded 14-year-old boy paralyzed has been convicted, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said Wednesday
  • Cory Dunton, 19, opened fire at the 20-year-old man because the victim refused to give up his $600 Marmot parka, police officials said
  • Dunton is expected to be sentenced Feb. 17

The teen gunman who fired at a 14-year-old boy at Bryant Park's ice skating rink in 2013, leaving him paralyzed, has been convicted of attempted murder, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Wednesday.

Cory Dunton, 19, was convicted by a New York State Supreme Court on all counts, including attempted murder in the second degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree, the Manhattan DA's office said. He is expected to be sentenced Feb. 17.

Dunton, then 16 years old, fired eight shots in Bryant Park's seasonal ice skating rink at around 11 p.m. Nov. 9, 2013. Javier Contreras, 20, was hit in his hands, torso and thigh. Bystander Adonia Mera, 14, was struck in the back. Mera, who was ice skating at the time, became paralyzed from the waist down as a result of his spinal injuries.

Dunton allegedly opened fire because Contreras wouldn't hand over his $600 Marmot Mammoth parka, commonly called a "Biggie," law enforcement sources said. When Contreras wouldn't give up the jacket, he left, returned with a gun half an hour later and started shooting.

Officials say investigators tracked Dunton down after a tipster said he was posting about the shooting on Facebook. Police took him into custody after an hour-long standoff during which he continued to post messages to his Facebook page. Dunton allegedly posted, "Feds at my door I'm going out with a bang," among other comments.

There have been prior incidents centered around the popular coat. In January 2013, 16-year-old Raphael Ward died after being shot in the chest on the Lower East Side during a fight with other teens over a similar coat, the Daily News reports. 

In 2010, 18-year-old Malik Jenkins was hit by two cars as three men were trying to steal his coat. The three assailants were indicted on murder charges in the 18-year-old's death, the Daily News said.

The jacket was discontinued in 2012, a sporting goods website told the News.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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