illegal immigrants accused in border officer shooting in New York charged

Federal prosecutors have announced gun and accessory charges against two illegal immigrants accused of being part of shooting an off-duty border officer in the face during a botched robbery in New York last week.

Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, the alleged shooter, was charged with possession of ammunition by an illegal immigrant and Christhian Aybar-Berroa, whom authorities say drove the getaway vehicle, a motorized scooter, was charged with accessory after the fact.

“Gun violence will not go unanswered,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in announcing the charges.

The July 19 shooting was caught on video.

It showed two men rolling along on a scooter then spotting two other people at Fort Washington Park in Manhattan. The men on the scooter back up and one of them approached the two others. Pinpricks of light then erupt in the video, denoting gunfire. 

The Customs and Border Protection officer, who was off duty, was shot in the face. He is expected to survive.

Mr. Mora Nunez was shot in the groin and leg.

Investigators said minutes before the shooting Mr. Mora Nunez had robbed another victim, a woman, of her cell phone.

Authorities have video of Mr. Aybar-Berroa bringing Mr. Mora Nunez to a hospital for treatment.

Authorities said both Mr. Mora Nunez and Mr. Aybar-Berroa were here illegally, caught and released during the Biden administration, which issued them an immigration court summons.

Both men missed their court dates and were ordered removed in absentia — orders they were defying at the time of the shooting.