An Albany man convicted of attempted murder in a 2024 shooting that left a victim paralyzed and without his legs has been sentenced to 17 years to life in state prison — a term shaped, in part, by a remarkable act of forgiveness from the victim's own mother.

Juhmir Arrington, 31, was sentenced Monday (March 9) in Albany County Court after being found guilty in December of attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. According to Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon, the shooting took place around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday (June 1), 2024, near the CVS store at the corner of New Scotland Avenue and Myrtle Avenue, not far from Albany Medical Center.

Prosecutors said the confrontation began when the victim sought out a friend of Arrington's, who had allegedly assaulted one of the victim's brothers the day before. A fistfight broke out among eight men, and surveillance video showed Arrington retrieving a gun from inside a nearby car. Arrington shot the victim in the chest, then fired two more shots at close range, though those missed. The victim was paralyzed from the waist down and later had both legs amputated due to complications from the injury.

Before sentencing, the victim's mother, Yvette Johnson, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, directing her words at Arrington directly.

"Juhmir, I forgive you. Everyone has suffered enough," Johnson said. "But I need you to know what you took. You took his life. You took his joy. You have changed everyone's life, my family and yours. I just hope that from this moment, for my family and for your family, we just leave this all here."

Johnson then asked the judge to consider a lesser sentence so Arrington could remain involved in his children's lives.

Judge Thomas Marcelle said Johnson's words changed his mind about the sentence he had planned to hand down. "I heard such grace, eloquence and an attitude of healing and forgiveness from Mrs. Johnson," the judge said. "She has laid out a vision for restoration, for hope and grace, and for mercy … and I do that because I can't deprive you of the mercy the victim's mother wants for you."

Prosecutors had pushed for a stiffer sentence. Assistant District Attorney Joseph Brucato argued Arrington should be designated a persistent felony offender — a classification the judge initially agreed to — which would have made Arrington eligible for up to 25 years to life in prison and lifetime post-release supervision. Arrington has three prior felony convictions, according to prosecutors.

Brucato also addressed the broader dangers of gun violence. "The most troubling part about this is that if there weren't guns involved in these things, if a fistfight ensued, there wouldn't be these life-ending, life-altering events," he said.

At sentencing, Arrington offered an apology. "My intention was never to hurt anybody," he said. "I apologize to the victim, his family and my family."

Arrington will serve a minimum of 17 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Christa Cooper