BRONX, NY – A man suspected of shooting a five-year-old girl in the Bronx as she sat in her family’s car has been detained by police and US Marshals, law enforcement sources have confirmed. The alleged gunman, a 26-year-old male, was found hiding in his grandma’s bathroom at the time of his arrest.
The shooter was located thanks to a tip-off to NYPD Crimestoppers. His identity is currently withheld as formal charges have yet to be issued.
The incident in question took place on June 29. The young girl was sitting in the backseat of a beige Nissan on East 214th Street when a lone bullet from a block away hit the vehicle, causing her injuries. The girl was taken immediately to Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, where she made a successful recovery.
The police found that the shooting occurred simultaneously with a nearby vigil for Justin Rodriguez, a 26-year-old man who was killed in a separate shooting incident just a block away from the site of the girl’s attack. Witnesses reported that multiple shots were fired during the vigil.
Chief of Patrol John Chell assured the public and the victim’s parents during a press conference outside the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, linking the crime to a murder the previous night.
The young victim’s father succinctly described the incident as “stupid.” Details of charges against the suspect are still pending.