Shooter in Cohoes Murder Sentenced 20 years to life

If someone robbed you repeatedly, would you want to cause harm or even kill that person? Well that seems to be the reason this man committed murder.

According to Spectrum News, A year after Thomas Slivienski was arrested for the murder of 17-year-old Albany High Student, Johni Dunia, the 23-year-old Watervliet man learned his fate in Albany County Court.

Assistant District Attorney David Szalda said "Dunia and a group of friends were hanging out on the night of November 16 2018 after attending a friend’s baby shower and wanted to smoke marijuana. They say their intention was to rob a drug dealer, specifically Slivienski, that night." It was something lawyers on both sides say the group did often to drug dealers, and had done to Slivienski in the past.

These young men were obviously up to no good but does it justify murder. Even if the shooter was a known drug dealer, does he have a right to defend himself if he felt threatened. What would you have done in this situation, whether you allegedly sold drugs or not?