The man accused of opening fire on a “complete stranger” during a road-rage incident in Times Square is an aspiring rapper who was out on bail for alleged illegal weapons possession at the time, authorities say.
Elijah Quamina — a 20-year-old who just inked a deal with RCA Records — appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday to plead not guilty to charges of attempted murder, attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting in the Crossroads of the World early Wednesday.
Judge Phyllis Chu ordered Quamina to be held on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond.
At the time of Wednesday’s shooting, he had been out on $7,500 bail for another alleged gun-possession crime in May 2020.
Quamina of Prospect Heights in Brooklyn allegedly squeezed off four rounds at a man on a dirt bike on Seventh Avenue near West 41st Street this week after his friend got into an argument with the guy, police said.
“While out on bail with gun charges, this defendant fired a gun, shooting several rounds of ammunition at a complete stranger in Times Square, after he was involved in a traffic collision … which was captured on video surveillance,” a prosecutor said in court arguing for bail.
No one was injured in the gunfire.
Quamina, who goes by the rapper name Eli Fross, has no prior convictions, according to his lawyer, David Adhami.