Philadelphia sheriff's deputy sold guns used in school shooting, which left 1 teen dead and 4 injured, to illegal immigrant: DOJ

A sheriff's deputy in Philadelphia has been arrested for reportedly selling to an illegal immigrant several firearms, two of which may recently have been used in a mass school shooting.

On October 13, Samir Ahmad, 29, allegedly sold firearms to an FBI informant who also happens to be an illegal immigrant. The DOJ said that it has hidden camera and audio footage of the transaction, during which the informant supposedly told Ahmad about his illegal status and expressed fear that he might "get deported" if he were caught possessing a firearm.

"You don’t got to worry about none of that," Ahmad allegedly assured him.

Ahmad supposedly gave the informant at least two Glock handguns and some ammunition in exchange for $3,000 in cash. He had also sold at least one other gun to the same informant back in April, the DOJ claimed.

After the transaction, the informant handed the weapons to federal agents, who then investigated them and determined that two of them had been used last month in a horrific shooting that took place after a local high school football scrimmage. As players were leaving the field on the afternoon of September 27, several young people exited a Ford Explorer and began firing on them. The shooting left one 14-year-old boy dead and another four teens injured.

Federal prosecutors do not believe that Ahmad sold the guns, which have been traced to Georgia, to the suspects in the school shooting.

Days after the exchange between Ahmad and the informant, Ahmad was fired from his job at the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office has since released a statement regarding the accusations against Ahmad.

"Former Deputy Sheriff Samir Ahmad was hired in February 2018 under a previous administration. On October 19, 2022, he was served with a 30-day notice of intent to dismiss for repeated violations," the statement reads.

DOJ and FBI officials have expressed outrage at Ahmad, who, they say, violated the people's trust.

"As alleged, Samir Ahmad abused his authority – to the greatest extent possible – as a sworn law enforcement officer," said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero. "The defendant was allegedly illegally selling firearms on the street to at least one person who was not permitted to possess them, adding fuel to the already-incendiary fire of deadly gun violence in the City of Philadelphia."

"The idea of a sworn public servant so blatantly undermining public safety is reprehensible," the FBI added in a statement.

Ahmad has been charged with firearms trafficking and selling firearms to someone unlawfully in the U.S. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison, if convicted.