A man who set out to avenge a slain rapper, but wound up wounding an innocent teen, was sentenced to prison Tuesday for the botched Bronx revenge shooting.
Wilfredo Solano, 28, was part of a group of gunmen who unleashed a hail of bullets on three unsuspecting cyclists, including the 19-year-old victim, as they pedaled down College Ave. near E. 169th St. in Claremont on the night of June 1, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
The shooters, some still on the run, fled the scene after the senseless mistaken attack.
Solano, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to attempted assault on Dec. 11 for his role in the ambush. He fired three times at point blank range — while a barrage of 10 bullets flew from four different guns, blasting the 19-year-old in the knee, said prosecutors.
Just one night earlier, Solano’s friend, 21-year-old rapper Antoine Strong, had been gunned down outside a building on the same block by three men riding Citi Bikes, police said.
Antoine Strong
Courtesy of Renee Nelson Aspiring rapper Antoine Strong was slain in the Bronx on May 31, 2023.
The 19-year-old victim and others in his group had nothing to do with Strong’s killing.
Carlos Veras, 20, was arrested on June 22, 2023 and charged with murdering Strong, according to online court records. Prosecutors said he and another man are awaiting trial in that case.
Strong’s mother said her son was killed because of envy stemming from his budding career.
“His music was about to take off and people were jealous,” Renee Nelson — Strong’s mother — told the Daily News after he was killed. “He trusted the wrong people.”
Prosecutors said another man who had been arrested for the would-be revenge shooting, Shameek Parker, had also pleaded guilty to attempted assault and would be sentenced Feb. 13.
On Tuesday, Solano was sentenced to seven years in prison, said the DAs office.
“The senselessness of this retaliatory shooting cannot be overstated,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. “Now he will spend years of his life in prison after the criminal justice system has held him accountable.”
