The NYPD has identified the suspect who opened fire in Times Square on Thursday night, injuring a tourist and shooting at an officer, as a 15-year-old migrant from Venezuela who attends a public school in New York City.
The suspect, whose name has not been released due to his age, is still at large and considered armed and dangerous, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, who gave a briefing on Friday morning.
Chell said the suspect was part of a group of three people who attempted to shoplift from a sporting goods store at 42nd Street and Broadway around 7 p.m. on Thursday. When a security guard confronted them, the suspect pulled out a gun and fired at him, missing him but hitting a 38-year-old female tourist in the leg.
The tourist, who was visiting from Texas, was taken to a hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover, Chell said.
The suspect and his accomplices then fled the scene, with the suspect firing two more shots at a pursuing officer, who did not return fire due to the crowded area. The suspect then ran into the subway, jumped onto the tracks, and ran back out before disappearing, Chell said.
One of the accomplices, a 16-year-old male, was apprehended by the police and taken in for questioning. The other accomplice, a female whose age is unknown, remains at large.
Chell said the police have recovered the suspect’s jacket, hat, and shoes, which he discarded as he ran. He also said the police have obtained surveillance footage and witness statements that helped them identify the suspect.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing white pants and a white T-shirt.
Chell said the suspect is a migrant from Venezuela who came to the U.S. in 2022 and enrolled in a public school in New York City. He said the suspect has no prior criminal record and no known gang affiliation.
“This was a brazen and reckless act of violence that endangered the lives of innocent bystanders and our officers,” Chell said. “We will not rest until we bring this suspect to justice and hold him accountable for his actions.”
