A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the murder of Tessa Majors, a freshman at Barnard College in Manhattan who was found stabbed to death this week.
Majors was found by police on Wednesday just after 5pm with multiple stab wounds, and pronounced dead shortly after.
In the hours that followed, police began looking for several individuals who they believed were involved in the murder, which reportedly came as a result of a cell phone robbery.
The boy has been charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and robbery. In a statement to police, the 5 foot 5 inches suspect implicated himself in the crime but did not confess, according to police.
Police are searching for further suspects. The 13-year-old in custody is from Harlem.
Majors was 18 years old, and had moved to New York City from Virginia this spring. Her Instagram account showed she was a musician, and had recently played her first concert in the city.
During his weekly appearance on New York City’s public radio station WNYC, mayor Bill DeBlasio promised that the suspects who stopped Majors and roughed her up before stabbing her to death in Morningside Park would be found.
“I am absolutely confident that any individuals involved in this terrible, heinous attack will be brought to justice and will be brought to justice quickly,” Mr DeBlasio said.
At Barnard College, students have reacted by demanding increased security around the campus, which is affiliated with Columbia University. Majors was found just a block away from that prestigious university.
