HARLEM — A Virginia man was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison Wednesday for a fatal shooting he carried out while in the city for a family party.
Bryan Rogers, 32, shot Todd Wilson, 48, inside the Manhattanville Houses at 1420 Amsterdam Ave. in the summer of 2014 after a heated argument fueled by alcohol, officials said.
Rogers was convicted by a jury this past November on murder and criminal possession of a weapon charges.
Rogers, of Virginia Beach, was in town August 2014 with his girlfriend Logan Wilson to visit her family at the Manhattanville Houses for a get-together.
After the celebrations, the couple missed their bus back to Virginia and decided to drink “heavily” and return to the apartment around 1 a.m., which caused a raucous, officials said.
The inebriated pair was told to calm down and leave, which caused heated argument between the two and family members.
Wilson’s mother, grandmother and two cousins, as well as her uncle Todd Wilson, took the argument into the hallway where the confrontation escalated, officials said.
As Rogers was walking away he turned, took out a gun from his waist and shot Todd Wilson four times — twice in the chest and twice in the back, officials said.
Wilson was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Rogers fled to Maryland and hid for two months before investigators found him and he was extradited to the city.
“Bryan Rogers committed a senseless act of violence as he opened fire and murdered Todd Wilson in front of his mother, sister, niece and two children,” said Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan DA.
“I hope that this sentence provides the Wilson family with some measure of comfort as they cope with this devastating trauma and loss.”
