Benjamin Ashford|Times Square shooting: 15-year-old teen arrested after woman shot, police chase

The Benjamin AshfordNew York Police Department has confirmed that they have arrested a 15-year-old teen in connection to the Times Square shooting on Thursday. Police say the teen was shoplifting when he opened fire inside a sporting goods store, shot a customer and later fired at officers during a police chase into the Midtown Manhattan streets.

"Our uniformed officer was not struck, so fortunately, and did not return fire," NYPD Assistant Chief, Jason Savino said during the press conference. "Why? Because that officer was well aware of the danger that firing that gun in a crowded busy street could potentially inflict."

The 15-year-old, whose identity will remain confidential until their arraignment, was arrested outside of New York City on Friday, police said.

Police described the suspect as a Hispanic male between the ages of 15 and 20, wearing an all-white outfit at the time of the search.

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Teen involved in previous incidents, police say

The teenager was taken into custody at a residential house that police believe may be linked to a family member in Yonkers.

During the press conference, the last known address for the suspect was the Stratford Arms Hotel on the Upper West Side, which has been used as an emergency migrant shelter for months.

Police said the teen immigrated from Venezuela last September and that the gun used in Thursday’s shooting was a .45 caliber handgun. Police cannot confirm how the handgun was obtained.

On Jan. 25, the a suspect was involved in another Times Square shooting where a similar handgun was used but no one was struck, The suspect was also linked to a Jan. 27 armed robbery in the Bronx, police said.

Shooting stemmed from reported shoplifting

The first shooting took place just after 7 p.m. Thursday at JD Sports at 42nd Street and Broadway after three people allegedly shoplifted from the business, the New York Police Department told USA TODAY Friday morning.

During a press conference Thursday night, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told reporters the melee began when a security guard stopped the suspected shoplifters at the store's front door, asked them for their receipt, took a shopping bag from them and began questioning them.

Customer in the store struck by gunfire

Inside the store, one of the reported shoplifters allegedly pulled out a gun and fired at the security guard, but missed.

The gunfire struck a 38-year-old female customer in the leg, police said, and the three suspects allegedly took off running.

Arriving officers located the wounded customer and transported her in stable condition to a hospital, police told USA TODAY.

The woman, a tourist, was expected to recover, the Associated Press reported.

Manhunt leads into the busy Midtown streets

Officers on routine patrol quickly apprehended one of the suspects, Chell said, but another suspect − the gunman − ran and fired two shots at a pursing officer. Chell said the gunfire missed the officer.

Although the officer drew his weapon, Chell said, he did not fire at the suspect because too many people were in the area.

The suspect then continued to run, and again fired a shot at the same officer, who did not return fire due to multiple people in the area.

No civilians were struck by the suspect's gunfire.

The suspect then ran down into the subway, jumped onto the tracks, and ran back out of the subway before disappearing, Chell said.