Levittown teen extradited from Virginia, indicted for April Manhattan-bound train shooting
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday that Matthew Rodriguez, 19, was arraigned and remanded on indictment charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting.
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A Levittown teen was extradited from Virginia and now faces charges in connection with an April 27 shooting that occurred on a Manhattan-bound A train.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday that Matthew Rodriguez, 19, was arraigned and remanded on indictment charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting.
The victim was 15 years old and was in a fight with Rodriguez's 16-year-old co-defendant which stemmed from an earlier February shooting incident in Far Rockaway, according to Katz. Rodriguez pulled out a firearm that was strapped to the 16-year-old's ankle and then shot the victim, striking him in the neck and back.
Rodriguez then fled the state and was apprehended in Virginia on May 21, 2026, according to the district attorney's office.
“As alleged, defendant Rodriguez was under no immediate threat, nor was he directly engaged in the physical altercation when he fired two shots into the victim at point-blank range. A 15-year-old child is now fighting for his life in a hospital bed as a direct result. The epidemic of youth gun violence must end. My office will use every tool available under the law to hold the alleged shooter and his accomplice responsible for their actions," Katz said.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 25 years in prison, according Katz. His co-defendant faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
