Suspect In Harlem Dirt Bike Murder Is Arrested, Police Say

HARLEM, NY — The man accused of firing into a Harlem crowd while riding a dirt bike last summer — killing a 19-year-old father — has been arrested months later, police said Monday.

Paul Johnson, a 20-year-old Harlem resident, was charged with murder and reckless endangerment in connection with the July 26 shooting that killed 19-year-old Matthew Sumpter of the Bronx.

Around 9:47 p.m. that night, Sumpter was among a group of people near the corner of West 141st Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. According to police, Johnson rode by on a dirt bike and fired into the crowd, hitting Sumpter in the torso.

Sumpter was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The teenager had a young daughter with a second child on the way, according to the Daily News.

It was unclear whether Sumpter had been Johnson's intended target.