Janice R. Andrews
Unexpectedly, a 15-year-old suspect named Jesus Alejandro Rivas Figueroa has been taken into custody in relation to the Times Square shooting death of a Brazilian visitor. The adolescent is accused of shooting at a security guard on Thursday night, hitting the 37-year-old Brazilian woman by accident.
According to the authorities, the suspect shot at a police officer as he was fleeing the area after the incident. The tourist’s injury was thankfully not life-threatening, and the hospital has released her.
According to reports, Figueroa, who is originally from Venezuela, moved to New York last fall and was staying in a migrant shelter in Manhattan. After being arrested in Yonkers, more inquiries indicate that he may have been involved in other crimes, including as an armed robbery in the Bronx and another shooting in Times Square earlier this month.
John Chell, chief of patrol for the Police Department, claims that Figueroa and two other adolescents tried to steal goods from a store on Broadway. Figueroa allegedly pulled out a huge weapon and opened fire, wounding the tourist when a security guard confronted him.
Despite the attacker’s attempts to escape, law enforcement’s prompt action stopped more deaths, and their extraordinary control was evident.
This event highlights worries about public safety at the busy tourist destination in Times Square, adding to a string of recent high-profile incidents there. The arrest takes place in the context of increased criticism of how law enforcement handles these kinds of situations, especially after a recent fight in the same neighborhood between migrants and police officers.
Authorities are stressing the value of community collaboration in preserving public safety and are pleading with anyone with information relevant to the case to come forward as investigations continue.
