Mineola, NY - October 9, 2015 - Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Levittown man has been sentenced for trying to kill his landlord before starting an armed standoff with police that led to the lockdown of his local school district.

A Nassau County jury deliberated for approximately two days in July before declaring Rohan Kahn, 59, guilty on all counts: Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree (a B violent felony), Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree (a D felony), Assault in the 3rd Degree (an A misdemeanor) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 4th Degree (an A misdemeanor). Kahn was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 2-1/2 years of post-release supervision by Acting Supreme Court Justice Meryl Berkowitz today.

“This defendant’s outburst of violence could have killed his landlord and a passerby, it put an entire school district in a panic, and endangered everyone around him,” Acting DA Singas said. “I’m grateful to the brave first responders who arrested him without further harm and to our prosecutors for their outstanding work at trial.”

Acting DA Singas said that around 2:15 in the afternoon on Feb. 11, 2014, Kahn was home and got into an argument with his then-51-year-old landlord that escalated into a physical altercation in which he pulled his landlord inside and punched and kicked him, before shooting at him at least five times as he tried to run away. Rifle rounds struck the victim’s car as he hid behind it, causing window glass to shatter and injure his face. Shattered windshield glass also injured a 54-year-old woman driving by, when Kahn shot into her car as the landlord tried to enter her car for safety.

The Island Trees School District was placed on lockdown. When police arrived at the scene, Kahn barricaded himself inside his home with his weapon. After approximately two hours with Nassau County Police Department Emergency Services, Bureau of Special Operations, K-9, Aviation and hostage negotiators at the scene, Kahn surrendered at 4:35 p.m.

Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lewisohn of Acting DA Singas’ Country Court Trial Bureau is prosecuting the case. Kahn is represented by Michael Berger, Esq.