Fort Worth Jury Finds Five-Time Felon Guilty After Shooting in Arlington Neighborhood Last Year

A Fort Worth jury found a five-time felon and suspected shooter guilty of a gun crime from the shooting that occurred in an Arlington neighborhood in March of last year.

The two-day trial took jury members only thirty minutes of deliberation to convict 27-year-old Abedel Sattar Alkheqani, finding him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Arlington police said they arrested Alkheqani last year after witnesses informed them that the individual had gotten out of a pickup truck and fired a pistol three times at another individual trying to run away.

The individual was struck several times and transferred to the hospital, ultimately recovering.

Officers reportedly used surveillance footage to find the pickup truck and track it down to just half a mile away from the scene. During the investigation, police found the truck registered to Alkheqani who police said also matched the witness description.

A few hours later, Arlington police pulled Alkheqani over and said they found marijuana in his jacket pocket and arrested him for possession. He then gave police written consent to search his home and possessions.

When police searched his home they reportedly found a .22 caliber rifle beside his bed with ammunition just an arm's length away, but Alkheqani claimed to officers that it belonged to his wife.

However, in recorded jailhouse calls, Mr. Alkheqani asked his wife, "is my rifle still there?" before correcting himself and stating, "I mean your rifle."

Police searched Alkheqani's car and said they found a single round of 9mm caliber ammunition, which matched the manufacturer and caliber of the shell casings recovered at the shooting scene.

In addition, the forensic analysis showed gun residue on Alkheqani's body on the day of the shooting.

Alkheqani's criminal history revealed five felony convictions, four of which for burglary and all prohibiting his ownership of a gun or ammunition.

Alkheqani now faces a potential statutory sentencing enhancement under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which raises the maximum penalty for offenders with three previous convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense. 

Sentencing for Alkheqani is set for August 10 and will be from 15 years to life in prison.