Teen arrested in Bronx shooting that killed Christopher Redding near bus stop

A teenager has been arrested in connection with what authorities described as a “senseless” shooting that left a 16-year-old boy dead in New York City, where a crowd of children gathered at a bus stop after school was closed, police said Sunday.

Wednesday’s incident took place in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, where authorities and witnesses described an escalating wave of violence in the borough, prompting affected family members to criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani and law enforcement for not doing enough to keep New Yorkers safe.

Authorities identified the slain victim as Christopher Redding, an aspiring football player at John F. Kennedy High School, who suffered a gunshot wound to the back. According to the GoFundMe page, Redding was defending friends who were being targeted by a group of people.

Authorities released images of the suspects and said that the group responsible for the tension that led to the conflict consisted of four people, three men and one woman.

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A 17-year-old male in connection with the incident was arrested Saturday and now faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and possession of a loaded firearm.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said that the gunshots started as a street fight, but emphasized that there was “a lot of violence between young adults.”

“This started out as some kind of fight in the street and escalated,” Gibson said. “And guess what, someone had a gun. That’s usually the problem.”

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A nearby resident who saw the shooting from his window said he saw “hundreds of children” waiting for the bus rushing from the scene after hearing five gunshots.

Redding reportedly intervened to defend his friends just before the group opened fire, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his coach.

“Christopher was defending his friends who were targeted by a group of people who opened fire on them in the Bronx,” the page said. “His last act on earth was one of courage and selflessness to protect those he cared about.”

It was stated that the 16-year-old player is a talented athlete. He was a member of the John F. Kennedy High School football team and the Fastbreak flag football team, and previously played for the Bronx Colts and LBX teams, according to his GoFundMe page.

Two other young people, including a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, were also seriously injured in the chaos. Both suffered gunshot wounds to the right leg and were transported to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

The New York Police Department released images of suspects connected to the shooting that left one person dead in the Bronx on February 11, 2026. (NYPD)

Hall stated that he was afraid of a bullet entering the window of his first floor apartment and noted that fear has become widespread in the society due to the recent violence in the district.

“You can’t come to the stores,” he said. “I had a friend who was going to the pharmacy and she had to run all the way across the street to get to her house.”

He described young people gathering at the bus stop, running into the streets and fighting regularly, and noted that the violence was not entirely unexpected.

“I used to see a lot of police around here,” he added. “But I can’t say that anymore.”

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Gibson also acknowledged that the county has seen a recent increase in gun violence, “causing many of our families and community members to feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods.”

District Council Member Eric Dinowitz added that “guns in the hands of high school students should never be a reality, and we must end this senseless violence,” according to a post on X.

16-year-old Christopher Redding died on February 11, 2026, following a shooting that broke out after school holidays in the Bronx, New York City. (GoFundMe/Peter Gerber via Fox News Digital)

The grieving father of the slain teenage football player added that he was disappointed in the circumstances surrounding the incident and condemned Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent statement Thursday expressing gratitude for the NYPD’s fight against crime in the city.

“They’re still there and nothing’s really being done,” Bryan Corley said. New York Postrefers to suspects who remain at large. “Mayor Mamdani says the police are doing a good job. They’re not doing a good job. It’s disgusting.”

When asked if Mamdani’s office had reached out to the teen’s family, the father reportedly said “no” in disappointment.

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Last Thursday, Mamdani addressed the recent shootings in the Bronx, calling them “heartbreaking and horrific.”

“I’m grateful to the NYPD for their actions not only in responding to them, but also in making sure we’re working to prevent them in the future,” Mamdani said. he said.

“With a new mayoral administration, we have the opportunity to address this crisis once and for all. My City Council colleagues and I will do everything we can to support an anti-gun violence agenda that addresses root causes and saves lives,” Dinowitz said.