A Venezuelan immigrant boy was arrested Friday on suspicion of fatally shooting a tourist in New York City's Times Square and is suspected of firing two shots at a police officer Thursday night, authorities said.

Guns are prohibited in Times Square, except for those specifically authorized by law. New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Transit Authority.

Jesus Alejandro Rivas Figueroa, 15, was accused of shoplifting with his classmates, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, from a sporting goods store in the Times Square area of ​​Broadway around 7 p.m., New York police said. (NYPD) Sergeant John Chell told reporters. Press conference Late Thursday.

A female security guard at the store allegedly confronted them and confiscated the items. Chell said Rivas-Figueroa allegedly pulled out a .45-caliber handgun and fired at the security guard into the crowd. Chell said the bullet missed the security guard, but hit a 37-year-old Brazilian female tourist. NYPD officers tracked down and arrested the other 15-year-old. One of the officers chased Rivas-Figueroa, and Figueroa turned around and fired two shots at the officer, Chell said.

New York City police arrested a 16-year-old suspected accomplice early Friday morning, Chell said.

Rivas-Figueroa was arrested Friday afternoon in Yonkers, about 26 miles north of Times Square, New York City Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Savino announced. another press conference. The injured tourist was reportedly waiting in line to buy sneakers when a stray bullet struck his left knee. She was treated at a hospital and released, Savino said.

Rivas Figueroa entered the United States from Venezuela in September 2023. Temporary migrant shelter at the Stratford Arms Hotel. Chell said he was also a suspect in an armed robbery in the Bronx on Jan. 27 and another shooting earlier in the day. (Related: Video shows illegal immigrant gang members pulling woman from moped: Report)

New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban told reporters that “Last night's shooting in Times Square was beyond reckless,” as the area is the busiest area in New York City. .

“It's really a miracle that we're not having a different conversation right now, given where the mass shooting happened,” Caban added.

The New York Police Department faced questioning over its tracking of crimes committed by recent immigrants and gangs. “We track crime citywide,” Caban said.

“We monitor every gang in this city,” Savino said.

“We're not going to make a big deal of condemning the entire immigrant community as bad people… but we're not going to put up with this,” Chell said. But he acknowledged that there was a wave of Venezuelan criminal organizations in New York City, including moped robberies, pickpockets and shoplifting. “We've seen it, it's a trend,” he said.

Chell said the NYPD is the police department that has shown the most restraint in the world and that New York City remains the safest city in the world. “We want to prevent anything from happening, but the next best thing is to be on scene and make arrests and keep the community safe,” he said.