DUBUQUE, Iowa — Ahamad R. Atkins, 18, of Dubuque, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for his role in an October 2025 shooting.

Iowa District Court Judge Monica Zrinyi Ackley imposed the sentence in Dubuque County District Court. Atkins must serve at least 17½ years before becoming eligible for parole.

The sentencing follows an incident on October 24, 2025, when Dubuque police responded to reports of gunshots in an alley near the intersection of 17th and Jackson streets. According to court documents, Atkins, then 17, and another juvenile were involved in a confrontation with 18-year-old Kareem Sehwail. As Sehwail walked away, Atkins pulled a handgun from his waistband and fired one round.

The shot missed Sehwail but struck the back windshield of a nearby parked vehicle with three minors inside. No injuries were reported.

Atkins and the other juvenile fled the scene and were captured on traffic camera footage being picked up and driven toward Wisconsin. Atkins was arrested later that day in East Dubuque, Illinois, and reportedly confessed to the shooting in a recorded phone call to his mother.

Atkins was charged as an adult under Iowa’s automatic waiver for forcible felonies. In May 2026, a Dubuque County jury deliberated for about two hours before finding him guilty of attempted murder, going armed with intent, reckless use of a firearm, and being a minor armed with a dangerous weapon within city limits.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Atkins deliberately aimed to kill Sehwail, while the defense contested his intent. Security and traffic camera footage served as key evidence in the conviction.

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