Police have arrested a second 13-year-old boy in connection with the shooting death of a friend’s friend in the Bronx.
This young suspect faces several charges, including second-degree manslaughter and weapon possession related to the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Dowd Marji, authorities reported. The arrest occurred at LaGuardia Airport on April 23, when members of the NYPD apprehended him as he arrived on a flight from Miami.
Just last week, another 13-year-old surrendered to law enforcement for the same incident. He is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and illegal firearm use.
According to police, Marji was not the intended target. He was visiting a friend on University Avenue and West Kings Bridge Road when he was struck by a stray bullet just before 5 PM.
Marji was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he fought for his life but ultimately died from his injuries, leaving his father, Saed Marji, concerned about the dangerous environment of the Bronx, which he had previously warned his son against visiting.
Hours after the arrest, another violent incident took place in the Bronx. A 15-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh around midnight on Exterior Street. He reported hearing gunfire and realized he had been hit. He was treated at Harlem Hospital and is currently in stable condition.
Witnesses noted that two men fled the scene on foot, but it’s unclear if the teen was targeted or if he was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This rise in violence isn’t an isolated incident. Just the day after, two 17-year-olds were shot, reportedly by another stray bullet. They were also treated at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and are listed as stable.
Neither of those victims had a prior criminal record, and police believe they were not the intended targets of the shooting either. This wave of violence comes as police commissioner Jessica Tish has pointed out a significant increase in youth violence in New York City since 2018.
According to police data shared at a recent briefing with Mayor Eric Adams, gun arrests involving individuals under 18 have surged by 136% from 2018 to 2024. In the same timeframe, the number of minor shooters has jumped by 192%, along with an 81% increase in gun violence victims.
