Officials say the arrow cut her face as she returned home from the gym.
LAWRENCE, New York — A Nassau County man is being held on an attempted murder charge after officials said he shot a crossbow arrow that grazed his sister’s face in their attached garage area, an attack prosecutors say he admitted was meant to kill her.
The allegations have put a spotlight on how quickly a family conflict can turn violent, and how investigators build a case from a brief encounter, a single shot and physical evidence left behind. Prosecutors said the 21-year-old suspect told authorities he had been planning the attack since Christmas. The 28-year-old woman survived and was taken to a hospital, while a judge issued a full stay-away order and the case moved into the court system.
Police said the shooting happened late on Feb. 13 at a home on West Avenue in Lawrence on Long Island. Officers responded just before 9:30 p.m. and found a woman bleeding from the right side of her face, authorities said. Detectives said the woman had returned from the gym and pulled into the home’s attached garage. As she prepared to close the garage door by entering a code, investigators said she felt a sharp pain and realized she had been struck by an arrow. The wound cut the side of her face, and she called for help, authorities said. Police said the woman’s condition was stable after she was taken for medical care.
Investigators identified the suspect as Samy Sedhom, 21, of Lawrence. Detectives said the woman noticed him sitting inside a parked car across the street as she arrived home. Authorities said both siblings got out of their vehicles and were near the garage when the arrow was fired. The shot did not kill her, but investigators have emphasized how close it came. Police said they found the hunting arrow lodged in the back wall of the garage, indicating it traveled past the victim and into the structure. Officials have not provided a public measurement of the distance between the shooter and the victim, and they have not released a diagram of the scene.
After the incident, police said they recovered items during a search of the home, including a box for the crossbow that investigators believe was used in the attack. Authorities also said they seized a katana-style samurai sword and a laptop from the suspect’s bedroom. Along with attempted murder, Sedhom was charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence and stalking, officials said. Investigators have not publicly detailed what actions support the evidence-tampering allegation, and they have not described whether the stalking count relates to earlier conduct, electronic messages, or in-person surveillance.
In public remarks described in local coverage, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Sedhom admitted he shot his sister and told investigators he was trying to kill her. Prosecutors said he also told authorities he had been planning to do it since Christmas. Donnelly described the underlying conflict as a “brother-sister rivalry” and said the two had argued about the temperature inside the home, with one sibling wanting it cooler and the other wanting it warmer. Authorities have not said whether there were additional disputes, mental health concerns, or financial pressures involved, and investigators have not released any court filings that lay out a longer history of conflict beyond the brief description given by prosecutors.
Sedhom’s case proceeded through arraignment in Nassau County court, where a judge ordered him to stay away from his sister, prosecutors said. He remained in jail as of this week and was due back in court Wednesday. The next steps typically include prosecutors turning over evidence, defense motions, and possible hearings that test how evidence was collected and whether statements were voluntary. Officials have said that if Sedhom is convicted of attempted murder, he could face a prison term of up to 25 years. Authorities have not announced a trial date, and it was not publicly clear whether plea talks had begun.
Neighbors said the block is usually quiet, and some residents expressed disbelief that a crossbow was used in an alleged family attack. One neighbor, speaking after learning of the charges, said families have problems like everyone else and suggested the conflict might have escalated beyond control. Police have not said whether other family members were home at the time, whether anyone tried to intervene, or whether the suspect fled before officers arrived. Officials also have not said whether the crossbow was recovered intact, whether it was loaded with a single bolt or multiple bolts, or how it was obtained.
As detectives continue the investigation, unanswered questions include what led up to the encounter outside the garage and whether there were warning signs in the days before the attack. Officials have not provided an update on the woman’s recovery beyond the initial report that she was stable. The case is expected to return to court Wednesday, when a judge could address scheduling and custody status as prosecutors prepare the next stage of the prosecution.
Author note: Last updated February 18, 2026.