A 15-year-old teen is the latest suspect wanted in connection to last week's deadly Bronx subway station shooting that claimed the life of a 35-year-old man caught in the crossfire.
Police have now identified three suspects, all teenagers, whom they believe are responsible for the shocking display of violence at the Mt. Eden Avenue station on Feb. 12. Two of those suspects are already in custody -- a third was identified in a wanted flyer circulated by the NYPD over the weekend.
A 16-year-old was arrested Thursday and charged with murder for the shooting that left one person dead and five others hurt. The suspect, who has not been identified due to his age, also faces five counts of attempted murder and a weapon possession charge.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the teen was apprehended by NYPD officers and the U.S. Marshals Regional Task Force after learning he was going to be leaving his apartment on West 172nd Street, where he lives with his mother. The suspect didn't say anything to officers and requested legal representation upon being taken into custody, Kenny confirmed.
Kenny said three teens fired 19 shots on the crowded subway platform around 4:30 p.m. last Monday. In addition to Thursday's arrest, police believe they know where one of the other shooters is as well: in the hospital.
"We believe one of our victims, who is a 14-year-old, is possibly one of the other shooters. He had since been arrested on a separate non-fatal shooting that occurred on January 15th," said Kenny. "In that shooting, you have two groups come together very similar to what happened on Monday. You have a group hanging out on the corner in front of a bodega. They were approached by another group. Words are exchanged, punches are thrown, guns come out."
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Investigators have maintained that the shooting was not random, and believe some of the victims include members of the two feuding groups, while others were bystanders. It appears to have been gang-related, police said, and detectives are closing in on a motive for the gunfire.
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"We believe the incident on the subway itself is in retaliation to that shooting that took place up back in mid-January," Kenny said. "We have two youth crews that are beefing. We are getting some preliminary information that it might be over some drill rapping. The incident that occurred back in January is definitely a dispute between these two crews. This incident seems to be retaliation to that.”
Bullets fly at Bronx subway station
Police say that the chaos started with a fight between the two groups of teenagers on a northbound No. 4 train approaching the Mount Eden station.
"We have two groups known to each other. They get on the train, one at 125th Street in Manhattan, we had the other get on at 161st Street in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. Once the groups come together on the train, there's a verbal dispute that quickly turns into a physical fight," Kenny explained. "As the train is pulling into the station at Mt. Eden, one round is fired inside the train car. You can imagine the chaotic scene. You have a crowded train pulling onto a crowded platform."
Around 4:30 p.m., at least one person took out a gun and fired while still on the train, police said. When the doors opened, more shots were fired on the platform, which is where each of the victims was struck — with innocent victims caught in the mix.
All five who were injured in the shooting are expected to recover. The lone fatality was a 35-year-old man from Mexico.
Shockingly, amid the chaos, the victim received no aid from bystanders on the platform.
"It's heartbreaking to see the video of him laying on the platform dying as people just walking past him," said Kenny. "It's a testament to what these young kids are out here doing. Here's a man just going about his business trying to make his way in life and makes the mistake of being curious to see what's going on and takes one in the chest."
The shooting is believed to be linked to gang activity, particularly involving groups associated with D Block and Burnside.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
