A Williston Park man who shot his girlfriend over an argument about the hit TV show The Walking Dead was sentenced in Nassau County Court Thursday to three-and-a-half years in prison.
Jared Gurman had pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted assault on Dec. 4, 2013—almost exactly one year to the day police said he shot his girlfriend with a rifle following an argument over AMC’s popular zombie show.
Gurman was initially charged with second-degree attempted murder, but the charge was downgraded to attempted assault as part of the guilty plea.
Back in December 2012, Nassau County police said Gurman’s girlfriend was driving him home from a bar when the couple began arguing about The Walking Dead.
Gurman, 28, argued that there is a possibility of a zombie virus being released by the government.
Their argument continued via text message after she dropped him home, police said. She later decided to go back to the apartment to calm him down, but was shot as she walked inside, police said.
Gurman drove her to a local hospital, where he was later arrested, police said.
She suffered a pierced lung, pierced diaphragm and a shattered rib, but survived.
Gurman’s attorney previously said the shooting was an accident.
“Even just brandishing a loaded weapon is never the right choice in an argument, no matter what it’s about,” Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement. “This shooting could have had a much more grave outcome and it’s fortunate that Mr. Gurman’s victim didn’t die or have worse injuries than she did.”
