Crime & Safety

Teen Scooter Driver Arrested In 11-Year-Old’s Death: NYPD

Omar Bojang, 18, turned himself in to authorities Monday, officials said. He'll face a murder charge in the death of Kyhara Tay, 11.

Omar Bojang, 18, faces a murder charge in the May 16 shooting death of an 11-year-old girl.
Omar Bojang, 18, faces a murder charge in the May 16 shooting death of an 11-year-old girl. (NYPD)

NEW YORK CITY — An 18-year-old sought in a Bronx shooting claimed the life of a young girl turned himself in to authorities Monday, NYPD officials said.

Omar Bojang will face charges of murder and manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Kyhara Tay, 11, tweeted NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

Bojang is accused of driving a scooter May 16 from which Matthew Godwin, 15, rode and fired a shot at a 13-year-old boy they both were chasing along a Bronx street in broad daylight, authorities said.

Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

But the bullet missed and struck Tay in the stomach, police said. Tay died hours later in a Bronx hospital and police embarked on a manhunt for two scooter riders caught on surveillance footage chasing and shooting at a young boy.

When police arrested Godwin last week, it was revealed that all people involved — the suspects and victims alike — were young.

Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"The tragedy here is that we're talking about a gunman who is too young to be called a 'gunman' because he's 15 years old," said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark last week. "A 15-year-old who possessed a gun, fired a gun on a busy street at 5 o'clock in the afternoon with no thought about his own human life or that of anybody else in the community."

NYPD officials called for help tracking down Bojang, who ended the search Monday when he surrendered to authorities, police said.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.