Rochester police say an argument about riding dirt bikes on the street led to the murder of a 16-year-old boy on the West Side over the weekend.
Police were called to Hague Street Saturday night for a report of a person shot. They found 16-year-old Manuel Rivera of Rochester who had been shot in the upper body. Officers performed lifesaving measures but the wound was too extreme, and he died at the scene.
Over the next 24 hours, the Major Crimes Unit was able to identify 31-year-old Douglas Smith as the shooter. He was taken into custody on Sunday on a charge of second degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Police charge that Smith fired a 9 mm handgun at another man during an argument over riding dirt bikes and ATVs on the street, during which Smith pulled out his gun and began firing. He was aiming at another person, but fatally struck Rivera instead. Rivera was not involved in the argument.