A North Massapequa man unleashed a hail of gunfire from his basement apartment last August, striking several neighboring homes and narrowly missing a sleeping child. Steven Frigand, 58, fired dozens of shots from his residence at 2 Sussex Avenue on August 20, 2023, around 12:45 a.m. Several bullets hit a house behind his address, while many others tore through a fence and struck a different house next door. Two of the bullets entered the neighboring home, one of which narrowly missed a child asleep in his bed and the homeowner who had gone to check on the child.
When police arrived at the scene, Frigand was in the basement and refused to come out for more than an hour despite police orders. Once he exited, he was taken to Nassau University Medical Center. A search warrant executed on the basement later that day revealed a cache of illegal weapons and drugs. The search uncovered 18 weapons, including six assault rifles, seven additional rifles, four shotguns, and a revolver, along with 40 high-capacity magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple shell casings, bullets, and bullet fragments. Police also found more than 27 ounces of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Steven Frigand pleaded guilty before Judge Robert Bogle to charges including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree. He is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison on September 25, 2024.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly commented on the case, highlighting the terror and danger Frigand’s actions caused in the quiet residential neighborhood. She noted that one of the bullets tore through a young boy’s bedroom as he slept, emphasizing the reckless and thoughtless nature of the crime. Donnelly reiterated the commitment of law enforcement to hold individuals accountable for unlawfully possessing dangerous weapons.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
