Teenager, 16, is arrested for attempted murder after opening fire at 14-year-old who was stepping onto a Harlem bus
- 16-year-old arrested for attempted murder after shooting at a boy on October 14
- Teen fired shots at a 14-year-old as he was getting on a bus in Harlem, New York
- Bullets grazed the victim's head and ricocheted off the bus windshield, barrier
- Police said at the time the driver's protective shield had probably saved their life
A 16-year-old has been arrested for attempted murder after opening fire on a 14-year-old who was stepping onto a Harlem bus.
The shooter, who has not been named because of his age, grazed the victim's head and nearly hit a bus driver, police said. Both victims were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The suspect fired the shots as the 14-year-old was stepping onto an M1 bus on West 139th Street around 10am on October 14.
Footage released by the police showed the gunman walking along the sidewalk before opening fire on the bus with a small-caliber pistol from close range.
A 16-year-old (pictured) has been arrested for attempted murder after opening fire on a 14-year-old who was stepping onto a Harlem bus
The bullets grazed the victim and bounced off the wind- and protective shield of the bus, avoiding the 39-year-old bus driver, Deputy Inspector Peter Fiorillo of the Detective Bureau Manhattan North said.
At least one of the shots hit a metal bar on the driver's protective shield which may have saved their life, police added.
'The bus operator barrier stopped one of the bullets, otherwise there could have been more serious consequences,' MTA President Craig Cipriano said at a press conference at the time.
The driver suffered a hand injury. The 14-year-old was taken to Harlem Hospital in a stable condition and is understood to have recovered.
Police at the time said they believed the shooting was gang related and that the shooter had trailed the victim down the block before opening fire.
The victim's mother said her son was on his way to a friend's house at the time of the shooting and usually stayed out of trouble, the Daily News reported at the time.
The suspect (pictured) fired the shots as the 14-year-old was stepping onto an M1 bus on West 139th Street around 10am on October 14
Police at the time said they believed the shooting was gang related and that the shooter (left) had trailed the victim down the block before opening fire
The shooting is the latest in a spike in violent crime involving youths in New York.
According to NYPD crime data, the city has had 1,526 shooting victims this year through October 17, nearly double the amount of gun violence victims through the same time as 2019, which had 760. There were 1,507 shooting victims through October 17 of last year.
The data recorded 89 shooting victims 17 years old and younger from January 1 to September 26 of this year. In 2019, there were 45 shooting victims 17 years old and younger during the same time period.
Of those injured in shootings, 16 young people were killed by gun violence between January 1 and September 26 - an increase of more than 136 per cent compared with the same time period in 2019, when three children or teens were killed.
According to the NYPD's latest monthly numbers, overall crime was up 1.73 per cent last month compared with November 2020. Felony assault was up by 8.3 per cent and robbery rose by 2.1 per cent.
Crime in NYC is up 1.3 percent year-to-date compared to last year. Crime in October rose 11.2 percent compared to October 2020 as the mayor talks about a return to 'pre-pandemic levels'
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