On Friday, United States Marshals arrested a teenage suspect at Times Square for allegedly shooting a tourist. The suspect has been identified as 15-year-old Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figuero.
The Blaze reported that authorities located the teen at his house on Saratoga Avenue in Yonkers, New York. He was hysterically crying at the time of the arrest and beside his mother. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in an interview that his department will “never stop pursuing” suspects who threaten the lives of others and will always find them.
BREAKING: NYPD says the alleged gunman who shot a tourist in Times Square then fired at cops near Radio City Music Hall is 15-year-old Jesus Alejandro Rivas Figueroa; has been staying at a migrant shelter on the UWS. He is considered armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/M2iSYZnqzS
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) February 9, 2024
Rivas-Figuero is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. Police reported that he moved to New York 6 months ago and was living in a migrant shelter on the Upper West Side of the city.
The tragic shooting took place following an armed robbery gone wrong. Rivas-Fuguero and his two teenage accomplices attempted to rob JD Sports in Manhattan near Times Square. The business is a popular clothing and sneaker store. The three boys arrived at the store at approximately 7 p.m. Thursday and immediately attempted to steal items from the second floor.
When surveillance caught the teens in action, a female security guard approached them and retrieved the stolen merchandise. Rivas-Figuero made a disturbing last-minute choice to reach under his clothes and pull out a handgun. He was quickly identified as the shooter because of his all-white attire that night. Caban called described the shooting as being “way beyond reckless.”
The bullet missed the security guard and struck a female tourist in her leg. She was visiting Manhattan after traveling to the city from Brazil and was accompanied by her son. In an interview with CBS News, a tourist who witnessed the shooting said, “The girl who got shot was between us two. We heard a big bang and then realized what happened.” The tourist said that afterward, everyone in the store was running away in a panic.
The teenage suspects fled to the streets of Times Square where NYPD officers were on standby. Rivas-Figuero fired one shot at an officer before turning around and running through the crowd of people. He then fired a second shot from under his armpit and miraculously missed bystanders and the officers.
NYPD Chief Patrol John Chell said in a news briefing that if any bullets had made contact with an officer then “a whole different conversation” would be taking place about the situation. He praised the targeted officer for not firing back due to the overcrowding of citizens. Caban brought attention to the fact the suspect attempted to shoot his gun without any thoughts about how many innocent people he could kill.
Rivas-Figuero will be charged with attempted murder of a police officer as a juvenile. The other teens involved have also been apprehended for shoplifting. Some officers commented on there being a possible link between the nature of the shooting and the migrant crisis the city is facing.
