Good Samaritan in New Milford Shooting in Prison After New Offenses Haunt Him
By Mary K. Miraglia
HACKENSACK, N.J. (Feb. 17, 2017) A Hackensack man who tried to save his friend’s life three years ago when horseplay behind a New Milford apartment complex went wrong will go to prison for four years after pleading guilty to four new offenses Friday, Feb. 17 before Presiding Judge Susan J. Steele.
Aaron McMorris was with a group of friends behind the Dorchester Apartments when a gun that Byron Sankar was playing with went off, striking 23-year old Alex Bridge. McMorris initially fled the scene but returned a few minutes later and called emergency services to try and help his friend. Bridge, bleeding profusely, was taken to Holy Name Hospital where he died shortly after.
McMorris, now 25, is still suffering from the trauma of that night, according to his attorney, Gayle D. Hargrove of Hackensack. Hargrove said McMorris feels shame from his actions, and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder over the shooting and death of his friend, Bridge. He pleaded guilty to a drug offense, a domestic violence offense, and a violation of probation, accepting the sentencing recommendation of four years, to serve at least 18 months before parole eligibility.
The violation of probation stemmed from McMorris’ sentence in the Bridge shooting. He pleaded guilty in that case to leaving an incapacitated person, and received a sentence of non-custodial probation. Sankar, 24 of East Orange, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and is currently serving 85 percent of a 12 year prison sentence while a third man, Nicholas Questal, also of East Orange, has yet to resolve his charges resulting from supplying the .9mm handgun to Sankar. At last information, he was in federal custody on a drug charge and was to be deported back to his native Trinidad and Tobago. But he remains on the Bergen County criminal courts docket.
Photo caption: Aaron McMorris of Hackensack
