The gunman who was caught on video shooting at a 24-year-old man in broad daylight next to two children in a Bronx neighborhood last week has been arrested, according to New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
Michael Lopez, 27, was taken into custody early Friday morning at his stepfather’s house in Harlem after a weeklong manhunt. Police said he was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder and reckless endangerment.
Lopez is a parolee with five prior arrests, including one on an attempted murder charge in 2014, chief of detectives James Essig said at a press conference Friday.
Jail records show that Lopez is being held at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center in East Elmhurst. Laurence Gurwitch, who is listed as Lopez’s attorney in court documents, declined to comment.
The events that led to Lopez’s arrest unfolded around 6:45 p.m. June 17 in front of 1551 Sheridan Ave. A 13-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy, who are siblings, got caught in the middle of a shooting as Lopez chased down the victim, according to police. The man fell on top of the kids as he struggled to run from the gunfire.
The two children were near their home when they got trapped in the gunfire, NBC New York reported. Both children “were very fortunately not injured,” New York City police tweeted last week.
“My kids are traumatized,” the father of the children said in Spanish while speaking to reporter’s in the lobby of the family’s apartment building, across the street from the bodega, NBC New York reported. “Whenever they hear a noise outside they start shaking and get really nervous.”
The 24-year-old victim was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds in the back and both legs. He is expected to survive, police said.
Police have also been searching for a second person who they say helped Lopez escape from the scene on a scooter. That man is still wanted by police.