A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on July 17 for shooting a man in East Flatbush, then shooting the victim’s father who tried to intervene.
The daylight incident followed a traffic-related argument in which the defendant, identified as John Miller of East Flatbush, became upset when a woman briefly blocked his car while parking and the victim asked him to calm down, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The shooting happened on July 12, 2022, around 6:30pm, near East 95th Street. The 38-year-old victim was sitting in his parked car when he overheard a commotion and saw Miller, 34, yelling at a neighbor. The neighbor was trying to park in her driveway and briefly blocked Miller’s vehicle. The victim stepped out and told Miller to calm down. Miller replied that he would return and drove off.
A short time later, Miller returned on foot, confronted the man seated on his stoop and repeatedly said he had been the one “talking.” Miller then reached into his pocket. The victim lunged to stop him but was shot twice at close range in the back and stomach, the DA's office said.
The victim’s 63-year-old father, who was nearby, ran to help and was shot once in the upper thigh. A crowd gathered and the father managed to wrestle the gun from Miller’s hand and handed it to a bystander. Miller attempted to flee but was held down by bystanders until police arrived.
The younger victim was taken to Kings County Hospital where he underwent two life-saving surgeries and a high-risk procedure due to severe complications. He was hospitalized for 17 days. His father was treated at Brookdale Hospital but continues to suffer from nerve damage in his right leg and now uses a cane to walk due to a lodged bullet.
“This was a terrifying act of gun violence that inflicted lasting harm on a father and son and endangered everyone nearby," Gonzalez said in a satement. "I commend the extraordinary bravery of the victims and the bystanders who intervened to disarm and detain the shooter. Thanks to their courage and the excellent work of my office, this dangerous individual has been held fully accountable and will no longer pose a threat to our community.”
