Department of Justice

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Aaron Christian, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for a firearm offense that followed a gang-related shootout.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter, who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang, opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, and some of them returned fire. ShotSpotter technology recorded approximately 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene. It is alleged that Christian was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on video firing at the fleeing assailant.

Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Christian’s arrest. On July 14, 2022, officers encountered Christian standing with others outside of a smoke shop located at 390 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. As officers approached, Christian fled and attempted to throw a handgun onto the roof of the business. The gun struck the awning of the business and fell to the sidewalk. Christian was apprehended and officers recovered a loaded Ruger Model LCP .380 pistol from the sidewalk.

Christian’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug, larceny and threatening offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Christian has been detained since his arrest. On July 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

State charges against Christian related to his alleged conduct on April 18, 2022, are pending.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont Jr. and Robert S. Dearington.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Hartford State Attorney’s Offices for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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