Boy’s final bike ride ends in gunfire as suspect faces murder charge

A man has been charged with murder after a stray bullet killed a 12-year-old boy while riding his bike in the Bronx; Newly released security camera captures the desperate moments after the shooting.

William Ferrer, 45, was arrested Sunday morning and charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, manslaughter, six counts of assault and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, the New York Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Police said Ferrer is accused of opening fire Saturday afternoon during a chaotic shootout outside the Wanda Deli Grocery Store on Elliot Place near the Grand Concourse in the Mount Eden neighborhood, killing 12-year-old Jacob Freytes, who investigators said was an innocent bystander.

According to police, Freytes was riding his bike near the bodega when gunfire erupted shortly before 5 p.m. He was shot in the shoulder and taken to New York Health and Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead.

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NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Ferrer’s arrest on Sunday and called Freytes’ death a “senseless act of gun violence.”

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“Jacob was an innocent bystander on his bike yesterday when he was taken from his family in a senseless act of gun violence,” Tisch wrote to X. “No arrest can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, but the NYPD will continue to do everything we can to seek justice for Jacob.”

Surveillance video shared by United Bodegas of America shows Jacob leaving a neighborhood convenience store after purchasing a football and getting on his bike.

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Police arrested William Ferrer on murder and other charges in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes, who investigators say was an innocent bystander who was struck by a stray bullet. (WNYW)

Moments later, as gunfire erupted, the video shows Freytes running inside, clutching his chest, then collapsing to the ground as horrified customers looked on.

Two more people were injured as a result of the fire. Police said a 34-year-old man was shot in the foot and a 25-year-old man was shot in the hip. Both men were in stable condition.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani mourned Freytes’ death in a statement sent to X following the shooting.

“My heart breaks for his family, friends and everyone who loved him. Their loss is unimaginable,” Mamdani wrote. “Our children should be able to ride their bikes in their neighborhood on a beautiful summer day without fear of being shot. We cannot accept this violence as normal.”

The mayor also said he was praying for the recovery of the two surviving victims and thanked hospital staff and the NYPD “for their work to find those responsible for this heinous act.”

New York City Public Defender Jumaane Williams’ office also mourned Freytes’ death, saying, “Nothing could be more tragic.”“

“We mourn with the family of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes,” the Office of the Public Defender wrote on social media. “Nothing could be more tragic than this: an innocent child on his bike being killed by a stray bullet.”

The office added that “the safety of our children is our shared responsibility” and called for “urgent implementation of strategies proven to make us safer.”

According to the New York Post, citing law enforcement sources, Ferrer had many previous encounters with the law enforcement agency until 1999. The publication reported that his record includes arrests for alleged drug possession, drunken driving, possession of stolen property, menacing and criminal contempt.

Community members gathered outside the Bronx convenience store where 12-year-old Jacob Freytes was fatally shot while riding his bike. (WNYW)

Freytes’ death is a devastating reminder of the ongoing paid gun violence in New York City, United Bodegas of America spokesman Fernando Mateo said at a news conference Sunday outside the bodega where the shooting occurred.

“We are tired of press conferences that talk about gun violence,” Mateo said. “Whether it’s at a kiosk or in a taxi, there’s gun violence on our streets.”

Mateo said security camera footage showed Freytes entering a neighborhood convenience store to buy a ball and then walking outside moments before the shooting began.

“He lives in the area and is a regular here and runs to the kiosk for shelter,” Mateo said. “But no, he didn’t make it. He’s twelve.”

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Mateo also said the store was equipped with one of the emergency panic buttons installed in many taverns in New York City, but violence ensued within seconds.