The New York City Police Department announced an arrest on Saturday in the killing of a 15-year-old boy fatally shot while riding a Queens-bound subway train in broad daylight on Friday afternoon.
Keyondre Russell, 18, was arrested and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon a day after the deadly shooting of Jayjon Burnett, who was struck in the chest while riding a southbound A train in Far Rockaway just before 3:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon not long after the end of the school day.
Burnett’s father, Jeff Burnett, told PIX 11 that his son would have turned 16 this week and was a straight-A eleventh-grade student and football player at Channel View School for Research.
"This was not a random act of violence," NYPD Chief of Transit Jason Wilcox said at a press conference. "There was definitely a dispute prior on the train leading into the station … We believe the shot was fired somewhere between 25th Street and Mott, right here."
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Once the train pulled into the stop, a Good Samaritan carried the victim out and NYPD transit officers patrolling the platform at the time rendered aid, FOX 5 NY reported.
The teen was rushed to Cohen’s Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"Whether this had any gang or crew nexus to it, that’s an avenue that’s definitely going to be explored, but that’s still to be determined," Wilcox said. No concrete motive has been announced.
This was the fourth murder in the New York City transit system over the past two weeks. It’s the 8th so far this year.
"He was the greatest brother I had," the victim’s sister, Regina Alvarez, who lives in Florida, told WABC-TV. "He was more like a son to me. He wanted to move to Florida after high school. He loved school. Straight A student. Loved school. He was just the most loving brother ever."
A neighbor, Conchita Finley, also told the station that Burnett’s mother was devastated.
"Thank God they caught the guy, because he needs to be put away for what he did. He was a baby. He was a child. He didn't get to live his life yet," Finley said. "His mother took care of him. His father took care of him. They were always there for him. If he's not home on time, she goes off."
