WHITE PLAINS – A former
research assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai Hospital in New York City was found guilty in Westchester County
Court on Tuesday on a charge that he shot a former boss, the dean of the
medical school.
Hengjun Chao, 50, of Tuckahoe, was convicted on charges of attempted murder,
criminal use of a firearm and assault, in the shooting of Dr. Dennis Charney.
The doctor was on the committee that fired Charney from the medical college
in May 2009.
Just before 8 a.m. on August 29, 2016, Chao was parked in the Walgreen’s
parking lot on King Street in Chappaqua. He waited for the victim to leave
a deli. Video surveillance evidence showed Chao had stalked Charney several
days before the shooting.
When Charney left the deli, Chao retrieved a loaded shotgun from the trunk
of his car, walked toward the victim, took aim and fired one shot, hitting
him in the shoulder and chest area. Chao remained on the scene and was
arrested by New Castle Police officers and subsequently told them he shot
the victim.
Charney was hospitalized for five days.
When sentenced in August, Chao faces up to 25 years in state prison.
