A Bronx man was ordered held on six-figure bail for allegedly firing the stray shot that injured two passengers on board a bus in Queens on Thursday morning.
Melvin Adams, 43, was arraigned Friday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of first-degree assault and attempted assault, as well as criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a firearm.
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Adams fired the shot following an argument with another individual at the corner of 148th Street and Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica at about 8:55 a.m. on Aug. 5.
Though he intended to hit his foe, law enforcement sources said, the shot instead smashed through the windshield of an approaching MTA bus on the Q8 line.
The stray bullet struck two passengers on the bus: a 66-year-old man hit in the shoulder, and a 20-year-old man struck in the hand.
EMS brought both victims to local hospitals for treatment. Katz said the 66-year-old man suffered a laceration, and the 20-year-old man was treated for a shattered bone in his hand; he also still has a bullet fragment lodged therein.
Officers from the 103rd Precinct picked up Adams soon after the shooting. They recovered a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol which he carried in a backpack in his possession.
Katz said the gun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 11 rounds in the magazine. Another full magazine containing 15 rounds was found in the backpack.
“We can’t live in a world where a petty dispute on the street between strangers ends up with innocent people getting shot at on a city bus,” Katz said. “The alleged, brazen conduct of the defendant is another example of why my office has made such a high priority of getting guns off the street.”
At his arraignment on Aug. 6, Adams was ordered by Judge Jeffrey Gershuny held in custody on $100,000 bail. He’s due to return to court on Aug. 10, and faces up to 25 years behind bars if convicted at trial.
