The New York Police Department is offering a $13,500 reward for information related to a teenage immigrant who opened fire on a tourist from Brazil and officers during a botched robbery in Times Square on Thursday evening.
We need the public’s help to identify and locate this individual before he hurts anyone else. He already shot an innocent person and tried to murder a NYC Police Officer Any info? @NYPDTips 1-877-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/0hY8OCo2tP
— NYPD Chief of Detectives (@NYPDDetectives) February 9, 2024
According to John Chell, patrol chief of the New York Police, the young man fled after trying to rob the second floor of the JD Sports store on West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue with two accomplices around 7 p.m.
The alleged shooter, along with his accomplices, apparently also teenagers, were seen stealing items from the JD store. At the time, a security guard stopped two of the robbers in the lobby, but one, dressed all in white, pulled out a gun and opened fire in their direction, Chell detailed at a press conference Thursday.
Watch as NYPD executives make a law enforcement announcement on an ongoing investigation. https://t.co/RFmyxduqkM
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 9, 2024
Fortunately for the guard, the shot did not hit her, but it did hit a 37-year-old Brazilian tourist who was in the sports store.
The perpetrator and his partner, who was wearing a blue jacket, ran out of the store while the third accomplice stayed behind at JD. At that moment, officers who were in the area near West 46th Street and Seventh Avenue began to pursue the fugitives, capturing the one in the blue jacket but not the shooter, who remains on the run.
Chell explained that the shooter fled after reaching West 47th Street toward Sixth Avenue while shooting at an officer who was pursuing him.
The alleged shooter was identified as José Alejandro Rivas Figueroa, 15, who lived in a temporary shelter and emigrated from Venezuela, Chell explained.
Meanwhile, the officer who pursued the shooter was not shot, though he did not return fire because there were too many people around and he could put the lives of others at risk.
Finally, the young migrant, supposedly of Venezuelan origin, ended up escaping when he got into the subway at West 46th Street and Sixth Avenue. There, he got rid of his white jacket and remains at large.
“At this point, we have numerous resources scouring this area looking for that male,” Chell said. “He shot at our cops not once but twice. He also shot an innocent female one time in the leg. That’s where we stand right now."
According to The New York Post, the other two accomplices of the failed robbery have already been released after being arrested on Thursday.
The Brazilian tourist was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is in stable condition.
Thursday's shooting comes a couple of weeks after other migrants, apparently also Venezuelan, attacked several NYPD officers.
