NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle Police have released a photo of the weapon recovered off the suspect in the West End Shooting on Tuesday.
The weapon has no serial number and is considered a “ghost gun,” according to NRPD.
On Tuesday January 25th at about 3:38 pm, Julian Oliveros was struck 5 times by rounds fired from a 9 mm handgun on the corner of 4th Street and Washington Avenue.
New Rochelle Police located and arrested a 16-year-old male suspect near Glen Place and Beechwood Avenue. He was found to be in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
Multiple sources have identified the suspect as Tommy Rivera. He was charged with Murder – 2nd Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon – 2nd Degree. Bond was set at $500,000. The Defendant was remanded to Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry. He has a return date of January 31.
“This incident highlights yet again the destructive impact of our nation’s lax gun regulations, which flood firearms into the wrong hands and can transform any dispute into a heartbreaking loss,” said New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson.
“The scourge of gun violence must stop.” said District 1 Council Member Martha Lopez.
“Why do teenagers have guns in our neighborhood? Where are they getting them?” she asked.
New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond likened the incident to the murder of Valaree Schwab, stabbed by Z’inah Brown, both New Rochelle High School students, four years ago in January 2018. Brown pleaded guilty to Manslaughter and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Raymond expressed sympathy for both the shooter and the victim.
“Violence has once again shaken our community, and perhaps reopened old wounds,” said Raymond. “An observation shared at our school board meeting last night was that this incident has cost two young lives, although in very different ways.”
Separately, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Westchester District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and investigators from the Westchester County Police, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and municipal police departments will hold a press conference at the Westchester County Police Academy to display weapons seized following a lengthy investigation that led to the seizure this week of more than 100 weapons, including rifles, handguns, “ghost guns” and high-capacity drum magazines. Search warrants were executed at multiple locations earlier this week and 12 persons are facing a variety of state and federal charges.