RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. — A 16-year-old boy from Bergen County was arrested and charged following a shooting incident that left a 15-year-old girl in critical condition, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday. The shooting, which took place on Tuesday night, has led to charges of aggravated assault and weapons offenses for the juvenile suspect.
Ridgefield Park police officers responded to a report of a person bleeding at a private residence around 7:26 p.m. on Tuesday. When they arrived, they found the teenage victim with a gunshot wound to her back. She was transported to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition, authorities said.
Following the shooting, officers took a 16-year-old male into custody at the scene. An investigation led by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, in coordination with the Ridgefield Park Police Department, revealed that the boy had allegedly discharged a handgun inside the residence, injuring the 15-year-old.
The suspect has been charged with juvenile delinquency, including second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree possession of a firearm by a minor. He is currently being held at the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center pending further proceedings in Bergen County Superior Court’s Family Law Division.
Prosecutor Musella’s office, along with local law enforcement, continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No additional details have been provided on the relationship between the suspect and the victim or on how the juvenile obtained the firearm.
