On the day he was set to pick a jury for his homicide trial, a 21-year-old Roxbury man took responsibility for fatally shooting a beloved Roslindale dance instructor two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Rather than face trial on the indicted charge of second-degree murder, SIRAAJ ABDULNUR (D.O.B. 12/1/88) today pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for his role in the Oct. 7, 2007, stabbing death of 22-year-old Shawndel Mitchell. Superior Court Judge John Cratsley imposed the 16- to 18-year prison sentence recommended by prosecutors.

Abdulnur received a concurrent four-to-five year sentence for the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm.

“The great sadness of homicide prosecution is that we come to know the victims in death rather than life,” Conley said. “By all we’ve heard and all we’ve learned, the world lost someone very, very special when Shawndel died.”

Prior to sentencing, members of Mitchell’s family gave tearful statements to the court about the impact his death had on the family; additional impact statements from family members were submitted to the court but were not read aloud in a courtroom packed with the victim’s family and friends.

Shawndel’s mother, Heavenly Mitchell, was so overcome with emotion that she asked another family member to read her statement to the court.

“I made a commitment to you and to God to make sure that you would receive every opportunity, mentorship, and experience that your heart desired,” she wrote. “Since your birth, it was my goal to make sure that I did everything possible to open doors and opportunities for you.”

The victim’s mother described in her statement how her son enjoyed acting, dancing and singing, and was hoping to make a career as a performer. Speaking of his determination to succeed, she said of him, “You chose not to settle; instead, you continued through perseverance and endurance.”

“Shawndel, you are so very special. You touched so many lives and hearts. I can not challenge God, however, this is the hardest thing I have ever endured…I still hear you when you said, ‘I love you!’ – those were the last words we spoke to each other,” she said. “And I responded, ‘Shawndel, I love you!’”

Shawndel Mitchell’s aunt, Leila Ray, who spoke next, sobbed as she described her nephew’s talents in the arts and the close-knit family that suffered after his death.

“Did you know he liked to read, dance and was into the arts? Did you know that he applied to be an EMT to save other lives? You shattered his dreams, and you shattered our hearts,” she said. “It is not just a loss. It’s a piece of our hearts stolen.”

The victim’s cousin, Damal Ray, read a statement on behalf of his aunt, Catherine Mitchell.

“I knew he would be following in my footsteps and be the next family member to graduate from Boston Latin. But as he got older, Shawndel wanted to pursue his love of the arts and decided to attend Boston Arts Academy as a route to his dream career.”

Had the case proceeded to trial, Assistant District Attorney Masai King would have proven that, on the evening of Oct. 6, Mitchell and several friends were socializing in an area of the Mission Park Housing Development behind 84 New Whitney St. Although they initially had plans to visit a friend who lived in one of the apartments in the complex, they remained outside until early the next morning.

At about 3:00 a.m. the defendant – who lived in the development – was walking on a path nearby the victim and his friends. Without provocation, “the defendant walked up to Mitchell and punched him about the face,” King said. The victim defended himself from Abdulnur and returned a punch. The two men – who did not know each – continued to engage in a physical confrontation, until Abdulnur produced a gun and shot once at the victim, hitting him in the chest.

The defendant fled the area and Mitchell staggered over to a staircase, where he collapsed, King said. The young man was later pronounced dead of his injuries at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Abdulnur did not return to his home that night, or for the next three weeks. As a result of an ongoing investigation by Suffolk prosecutors in the Special Grand Jury and Boston Police homicide detectives on the street, investigators obtained a warrant on Oct. 10 charging Abdulnur with Mitchell’s murder.

On Oct. 31, the Boston Police Fugitive and Apprehension Team, with assistance from MBTA Transit Police detectives, arrested Abdulnur at Commonwealth and Harvard avenues in Brighton.

Abdulnur was represented by attorney Robert Galibois II. Cat Yuan was the DA’s victim-witness advocate assigned to the case.