Syracuse, N.Y. — A 13-year-old boy was charged in the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man outside a bar at the Valley Plaza shopping center.
The boy is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Matthew Freeman was shot around midnight Wednesday outside The Taste of Brooklyn Sports Bar and was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he died.
Related A sports bar in Syracuse’s Valley will shut down after 2 murders in 2 months
City officials are moving to shut the bar down after Wednesday’s fatal shooting, the second in two months.
The boy charged in this week’s shooting is among the youngest teens implicated in a murder in recent years in Onondaga County.
At 13, he’s just old enough to be charged with murder in New York. His first court appearance will be in family court.
Law enforcement officials will not release the boy’s name until he is indicted, due to his age.
Two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old have received sentences related to murders in the last five years.
Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com.