15-year-old arrested in connection with Times Square shooting

A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the Times Square shooting that left three teens hurt earlier this month, police announced Thursday.

The 15-year-old, who has not been identified due to his age, is facing attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon: loaded firearm charges, police said.

The arrest and subsequent charges stem from a shooting that occured on July 17, just before midnight, on Seventh Avenue between 41st Street and 42nd Street, police said. Police were not sure at the time if the shooter was with the teens or not, but at some an argument broke out between the suspect and the trio.

Police initially said that during the dispute an unknown individual started shooting striking a 16-year-old boy in the thigh, a 15-year old boy in the thigh and a 17-year-old boy in the arm. The 16-year-old and the 15-year-old were taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/ Bellevue by EMS in stable condition. The 17-year-old later walked into Harlem Hospital with a graze wound to the arm that police believe was connected to the same shooting. All three were expected to recover.

The area where the shooting occurred is designated as a "gun free zone" by Mayor Eric Adams, meaning it is illegal to carry a gun between Sixth and Ninth avenues and between 40th and 53rd streets. The Adams administration said the move was to curb gun violence in the heart of the city and to create an environment where visitors felt safe.