AUSTIN, Texas — A teenager shot and killed earlier this week in northeast Austin has been identified.
Austin police say 16-year-old Za'Riyah Sheffield died after she was shot by an unnamed 16-year-old boy.
Police said they were called out to the shooting at The Bridge at Harris Ridge apartments near East Howard Lane and Dessau Road around 6 p.m. Monday.
Authorities said when they arrived, they found Sheffield with "trauma to the body." She was pronounced dead at the scene Monday night before being identified Wednesday.
An investigation revealed more about the 16-year-old suspect, who "had accused the victim of simply looking at him," according to Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists. Police said the suspect shot Sheffield in the parking lot outside the apartment complex and fled the scene before he eventually came back.
The suspect was then arrested and charged with first-degree murder, but his identity has not been made public.
Police said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident. However, they said a nearby gas station was also being investigated as a secondary crime scene, though it's unclear if the scenes are connected.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or the police Homicide Unit at 512-477-5389.
The shooting was Austin's 54th homicide of 2024.
