Rock Hill Man Sentenced for Shooting Up Rival’s Car

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — In a brazen display of gun violence, Sharif Ahmad Laguda, 32, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for firing a 9mm pistol at another motorist’s car in the early morning hours of July 31, 2022.

According to evidence presented to the Court, Laguda was driving home when he got into a traffic incident with another motorist. In a stunning act of aggression, Laguda retrieved the 9mm pistol from his car and fired at the other motorist’s car, striking it five times. Laguda later turned over the pistol to Rock Hill Police Department investigators.

Laguda’s actions put innocent lives at risk, and his reckless behavior has now landed him a stiff sentence. But what makes this case even more egregious is that Laguda was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition based on a 2010 conviction for two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill.

The Court has made it clear that those who break the law and flaunt their disregard for human life will face the consequences. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis has sentenced Laguda to 57 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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 work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Rock Hill Police Department (RHPD) investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. The community can rest a little easier knowing that those who engage in gun violence will be held accountable for their actions.

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