Man convicted of murder in Hempstead shooting

A Nassau jury rejected a former Brooklyn man’s self-defense argument and convicted him Tuesday of murder and weapons charges in a 2019 shooting at a Hempstead apartment building.

The panel deliberated for less than two hours before reaching a verdict in the case against James Wilson, 38.

He was wounded in an eruption of gunfire on the front steps of 100 Terrace Ave. in February 2019 that ended the life of Matthew Gilreath, 28, of Hempstead, after both men fired guns.

Tuesday’s verdict sparked an outburst that began with the defendant’s supporters and then grew to include some of those in court for the victim, despite Acting State Supreme Court Justice Howard Sturim’s warning for spectators to control their emotions.

Court officers removed some spectators from the Mineola courtroom and followed both groups outside to keep them separated as they left the area.

Wilson’s lawyer said in closing arguments Tuesday before jury deliberations began that Wilson only fired his gun in self-defense after Gilreath fired at Wilson first.

“My client did not pull out his gun until he was shot in the stomach by Matthew,” defense attorney Christopher Cassar said of the shooting that happened shortly before 3 a.m. on Feb. 18, 2019.

He also told jurors Gilreath fired a 9 mm pistol that was concealed in his pocket while wearing a black mask that hid his face except for his eyes.

“He was having some sort of verbal altercation with my client and he decided to take it to the next level by using his gun,” Cassar added.

Prosecutor Ania Pulaski insisted Wilson was the aggressor in the encounter and meant to kill Gilreath, who she said opened fire to protect himself.

Both attorneys used surveillance video of the shooting to try to prove their points, with jurors repeatedly watching replays of the deadly encounter.

Wilson and Gilreath were so close to the building that their movements weren’t completely in range of a security camera when the shooting started, according to what jurors watched in court.

Prosecutor Ania Pulaski argued Wilson wasn’t afraid of Gilreath, but rather sought him out on the front steps after retrieving a gun from a nearby building following a confrontation the two first had inside a hallway at 100 Terrace Ave. that also was recorded.

Pulaski showed a clip of that video, saying it was clear Wilson got in Gilreath’s face and shoved him as part of an argument for which she said authorities had no explanation.

But she added that jurors didn’t need to know what the dispute was about to decide the facts of a case in which two shooters fired a total of seven bullets in 1.67 seconds.

The prosecutor argued that the timing showed Wilson’s gun had to be out and pointing at Gilreath, even if Gilreath was able to fire first. She said Gilreath fired a single bullet while his gun was in his pocket, but Wilson fired six times, including two bullets that hit the victim’s head.

“He aimed that gun at Matthew Gilreath’s head and pulled that trigger over and over and over. He meant to kill him,” Pulaski added.

Authorities recovered Gilreath’s gun at the scene but never found Wilson’s. A grand jury indicted another defendant, Raphael Carter, 34, of Hempstead, for allegedly taking Wilson’s gun after the shooting.

Carter pleaded guilty in January 2020 to tampering with physical evidence and a weapon charge, prosecutors said Tuesday. State records show he’s now on parole.

Cassar expressed disappointment after Tuesday’s verdict, saying his client will pursue an appeal.

Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement that Wilson will be held accountable for Gilreath’s “senseless murder,”

She also extended condolences to Gilreath’s relatives and said “the scourge of gun violence” has impacted too many Nassau families.

“Justice is served,” a woman who said she was the mother of Gilreath’s child told Newsday through tears.