New York City police on Friday arrested another suspect in of a 7-month-old baby in Brooklyn earlier this week, taking the total number of arrests to two.
The suspected shooter, identified as Amuri Greene, was arrested shortly after the drive-by shooting that killed 7-month old Kaori Patterson-Moore on a Brooklyn street on Wednesday afternoon.
On Friday, the NYPD also arrested another suspect—one Matthew Rodriguez—in a joint operation with US Marshals.
Here’s everything to know about the two suspects.
Who is Amuri Greene?
A resident of Brooklyn, 21-year-old Amuri Greene was arrested on Thursday afternoon after the moped used in the drive-by crashed into a car, hurling both Greene and the driver off the vehicle.
The 21-year-old was subsequently arrested and hospitalized in police custody, while the moped driver fled.
Greene on Friday was charged with murder and other offences, but pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on Friday night. The 21-year-old was held without bail.
According to court documents viewed by AP, Greene told police that he was not trying to harm the infant, but was aiming at another person in the crowd during the drive-by shooting.
Greene’s attorney, Jay Schwitzman, also said after the court hearing that he would conduct “an independent and thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident.”
Who is Matthew Rodriguez?
The second suspect in the incident, 18-year-old Matthew Rodriguez was arrested on Friday, but details are scarce about his role.
Charges against Rodriguez are yet to be framed, and it is unclear whether the 18-year-old was the moped driver during the drive-by.
AP reported that police did not have information on how Greene and Rodriguez may have known each other.
It is also unknown where Rodriguez lives.
Tragedy in New York
Friday’s developments come two days after 7-month old Kaori Patterson-Moore was struck by a stray bullet on a Brooklyn sidewalk.
The 7-month-old was in her stroller when two men on a moped sped down and fired into a group of people on a street corner, hitting the infant in the head and killing her.
According to Kaori’s mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, a bullet also grazed her 2-year-old son as tragedy befell the family.
In the aftermath of the incident, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed heartbreak and outrage.
“We cannot accept this violence as normal. Too many families have suffered this pain,” wrote Mamdani on X, describing the incident as an “unthinkable loss”.
“This is a terrible day in our city, a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience,” Tisch was quoted as saying by AP a news briefing Wednesday.
