Teen charged with murder in shooting death of postman

An Iowa teenager has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a mail carrier in Chicago earlier this summer, police said Tuesday.

Chicago police said in a news release that Chicago officers along with U.S. marshals arrested the 15-year-old on a murder warrant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Monday. He was then extradited to Chicago, where he will be charged as a juvenile.

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

The victim, 48-year-old Octavia Redmond, was shot to death on July 19 while making a delivery on Chicago's South Side. After firing the fatal shots, the gunman fled the scene in a vehicle.

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

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

Investigators said in a post Monday

“For more than two months, Area 2 investigators worked on this investigation in collaboration with the United States Postal Inspection Service, using police cameras and private camera video to identify and track this offender's movements before and after the murder,” it said Chicago police wrote on X.

Additionally, police said an anonymous tip further aided the investigation and helped authorities determine the suspect's identity.

However, police are still investigating the shooting as a homicide and are looking for possible additional accomplices in the crime.

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

Newsweek emailed the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Tuesday seeking comment.

The shooting came at a time of increasing gun violence across the country, with several school shootings in the last month that left several people injured and killed.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 12,777 people have been killed and 24,517 injured by firearms since the start of this year. The number of gun violence-related deaths in recent years has also led to calls for Congress to strengthen national gun laws as gun control remains a fraught issue in the United States.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.