In a significant development surrounding the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Sincere Campbell, who was killed outside a deli near his family’s Bronx residence in 2024, police on Thursday identified a suspect. Authorities are now on the hunt for 28-year-old Christopher Mejia, believed to be connected to the incident.

The shooting occurred in the early hours of September 21, 2024, outside the Evergreen Deli and Grocery, situated at the intersection of Evergreen and Westchester Avenues in Soundview. Official reports indicate that the gunfire erupted around 3:25 a.m., bringing a somber cloud over the neighborhood.

Mejia is no stranger to law enforcement, with a history of four previous arrests. His record includes assault charges in 2019 and 2022, as well as a DUI in 2020. Most recently, in 2024, he faced charges for driving with a suspended license. The NYPD has released Mejia’s mugshot to the public, urging anyone with information to come forward as efforts to locate him intensify.

Surveillance footage obtained by Bronx News 12 sheds light on the moments leading up to Sincere’s death. The video captures an altercation outside a parked car, where Sincere is seen in a heated exchange with several individuals. The confrontation took a grim turn when a hooded figure brandished a firearm and began shooting.

In the wake of this tragedy, Campbell’s family is left grappling with grief. His mother, under the impression that her son was safe at home, was devastated to receive a call from the police that night, a family member revealed to the Daily News.

Campbell’s mother thought her son was at home when police called her late that night, a relative told the Daily News.

“From what his mother told me, she didn’t know he’d left the house,” said the 43-year-old cousin of Sincere’s mother, who gave her name as Jessica. ”The last she’d seen him was 12 midnight. She asked if he was hungry. He said no and she fell asleep.”

The teen’s family speculates he later walked to the bodega for a snack.

Jessica said Sincere was a senior at Leadership and Public Service High School in Manhattan, and wanted to be an engineer for the MTA.

“Me and him were talking about him doing an apprenticeship program for the MTA and starting the process of becoming an engineer,” Jessica said. “He was very serious about this since he was in elementary school. He loved Thomas the Tank Engine. He always talked about that throughout his life — he wanted to be a train engineer. He always stuck with that.”

He also loved watching and reading anime, the family said, adding he was a big fan of basketball and soccer, and that his favorite players were Stephen Curry and Lionel Messi.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.