A mother turned in her 13-year-old son after he shot his rival following a heated Snapchat beef.
The dispute began when the two 13-year-old males exchanged messages with one another on the app. While it is unclear exactly what the boys were arguing about, things boiled over on October 6th when the suspect threatened to shoot the victim. The following day, the suspect confronted the boy at Hunts Point Playground in the Bronx at around 5:35 p.m. and shot him in the knee.
The victim was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he remains stable but is now battling COVID-19. His mother, Suleykie Rivera, says her son is lucky to be alive after the bullet could have been fatal. Rivera says she was unaware of the Snapchat beef that led up to the violent confrontation.
The shooter, who is known by his nickname, Chulo, was captured on surveillance video still holding the gun, along with a second suspect, who the police are still looking for. The shooter’s mother saw an image of her son on a wanted poster and immediately turned him into the NYPD.
The pre-teen was charged with attempted murder, assault, and harassment. He was processed through Family Court and returned to his mother’s custody shortly after.
