Cops cuffed a teen Monday believed to be responsible for the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Justin Streeter on a Harlem street last week.
The 17-year-old male suspect, whose name is being withheld due to his age, turned himself in to the 25th Precinct with a family member on July 25, according to a source close to the investigation.
Law enforcement sources said Streeter had moved to Plainfield, NJ, but returned to his old stomping ground in Harlem where, during his visit, he was gunned down on July 19.
Streeter was shot in the head on East 128th Street alongside a 15-year-old friend, who took a bullet to the leg but fortunately survived the bloodshed. The pair were struck by the bullets just feet away from a deli they were known to visit on behalf of their parents, a community member reported.
While the exact motive for the shooting has yet to be determined, Harlem residents told amNewYork Metro that the community is plagued by violence, essentially that which is perpetrated by youth due to gang recruitment.
“There is a lot going on in this neighborhood,” one young mother said following the deadly shooting.
While those in Harlem say they are fearful of violent repercussions for speaking out against the street brutality, the NYPD told amNewYork Metro that the department is actively engaging the community in order to solve crimes and bring justice to the victims.
The alleged 17-year-old gunman is facing a slew of charges, including murder, attempted murder, two counts of assault, and two counts of criminal use of a firearm.
