Fugitive teen gunman charged in deadly Bronx bystander shooting, police say

A fugitive teenage gunman was arrested Wednesday and charged with the May 18 murder of a 57-year-old Bronx man who was using a walker when he was struck by a gunshot, authorities said. Brandon Sullivan, 18, was arrested as he attended a probation meeting when the NYPD’s Violent Crime Task Force closed in on him in connection to the Fordham Heights shooting, police and sources said. He was charged with two counts of murder, a count each of attempted murder, manslaughter and assault, as well as four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, according to law enforcement officials.

Brandon Sullivan, 18, was identified by authorities as the gunman in the incident. The shooting occurred around 6:50 p.m. at East 188th Street and Marion Avenue, a few blocks from Fordham University, according to police. Kevin Jennings, 57, was struck in the head, while a 34-year-old woman walking nearby was blasted in the leg, cops said. Both were rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where Jennings died from his injuries and the woman was listed in stable condition.

Jennings’ family later told The Post that their loved one was not the intended target of the violence. “From what Homicide [cops] told me, he was an innocent bystander,” said a man named Jamal, identified as the husband of Jennings’ niece, who spoke to the outlet on condition of anonymity. He added that Jennings was simply at a local bodega, and that trouble unfolded after he had left the store and was seated near a water hydrant when others began arguing.

Police said Sullivan’s motive remained unclear as of Thursday. His arraignment in connection with the deadly shooting was pending, and authorities had not disclosed details about the prior case that put him on probation. Officials emphasized that investigators were pursuing leads to determine the sequence of events that led to the shooting and whether others were involved.

By Thursday, investigators had not established a concrete motive for the violence, and the case was being litigated in court as prosecutors weigh next steps. The investigation continues as police work to determine whether there were accomplices or a broader set of circumstances connected to the incident.