Teen Charged With Murder in Shooting Death of Mail Carrier

A teen has been charged in Iowa with murder in the shooting death of a mail carrier in Chicago earlier this summer, according to police on Tuesday.

The Chicago Police Department said in a news release that Chicago officers, along with U.S. marshals, arrested the 15-year old boy on Monday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on a murder warrant. He was then extradited to Chicago, where he faces charges as a juvenile.

“The 15-year-old was taken into custody on Monday, September 30, 2024 by members of the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force,” the Chicago Police Department’s statement said.

The victim, 48-year-old Octavia Redmond, was shot while on her delivery route on Chicago’s South Side on July 19. After firing the fatal shots, the shooter fled the scene in a vehicle.

Following the teen’s arrest, authorities have now charged the suspect with first-degree murder.

“Due to the diligent work of Area 2 detectives and their persistence in apprehending this shooter, charges were secured,” Chicago police wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Investigators revealed more details behind the arrest on a Monday post on X, writing that they had utilized surveillance footage from police and private cameras to track the teenager’s movements before and after the incident.

“For more than two months, Area 2 detectives in partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service worked through this investigation and utilized police camera and private camera video footage to identify and trace the movements of this offender before and after the homicide,” Chicago police wrote on X.

In addition, police said an anonymous tip further aided the investigation, helping authorities pinpoint the suspect’s identity.

However, police are continuing to investigate the shooting as a homicide and are searching for potential additional accomplices in the crime.

“Area 2 detectives continue to investigate this homicide as we search for additional offenders wanted in connection to this case. Anyone with information is asked to submit an anonymous tip to CPDTIP.COM,” Chicago police said.

Newsweek reached out to the Cook County State’s Attorney Office via email on Tuesday for comment.

The shooting comes as increased gun violence has been seen across the country with several school shootings within the last month injuring and killing several people.

Since the start of this year, 12,777 people have been killed by firearms with 24,517 injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The number of gun violence-related deaths throughout recent years has also prompted calls for Congress to strengthen national gun laws, as gun control remains a tensely divided matter in the United States.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.