NEW YORK CITY — NYPD officers arrested Jesus Acosta on Saturday morning. The 31-year-old was identified as the suspect in two fatal shootings that occurred within a 48-hour period in New York City.

Acosta was taken into custody at approximately 10:50 a.m. on August 29, 2026. He is being questioned at the 43rd Precinct following his apprehension in the Bronx.

Two days later, on August 25, 2026, at approximately 12:15 a.m. a shooting occurred at 149 Grill and Deli located at 143 East 149th Street in the Bronx. During this incident, Tayvon Shuler, 33, was shot in the chest. Shuler died from his injuries at Lincoln Medical Center. His sister Tanasha Neal identified him following the shooting.

Surveillance footage showed Jesus Acosta entering the deli at 143 East 149th Street, firing a weapon, and taking cash from the register before fleeing. Police recovered a red sweater discarded near the scene of the August 25 Bronx shooting. The FBI had previously announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Acosta. The United Bodegas of America offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

"Thank you to our cops, detectives, and New Yorkers for their work on locating him," the NYPD said in a statement. Acosta is described as having a light complexion, standing 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 175 pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo reading Bronx "on his hand and a tattoo reading" Bobby on his left forearm.

Acosta was released on parole in April 2026 after serving 10 years in state prison for assault and criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2016 for a May 5, 2015 shooting at the 110th Street–Malcolm X Plaza train station in Manhattan. In 2015, Acosta was arrested for an attempted murder charge after shooting a 20-year-old man in the left arm during a verbal dispute near West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan.

Jesus Acosta has 13 prior arrests on his record. These arrests date back to 2012 and include false impersonation, criminal sale of marijuana, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Timeline

On August 23, 2026, shortly after midnight, a shooting occurred at America’s Best Wings and Pizza located at 842 Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. During the shooting, MD Yousuf, 44, was shot in the head, and a 39-year-old man was shot in the leg. The 39-year-old victim was transported to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center and listed in stable condition.

Mohammed Rasel, 39, survived the shooting. MD Yousuf died from his injuries at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center.

What's New

Additional reporting confirmed that MD Yousuf, the 44-year-old victim in the Brooklyn shooting, was the sole income earner for his family, which included his wife, mother, and two daughters aged 12 and 3. It was also reported that Acosta was arrested in 2015 for an attempted murder charge after shooting a 20-year-old man in the left arm during a verbal dispute near West 110th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan.

Further details indicated that Acosta was released on parole in April 2026 after serving 10 years for the 2015 subway shooting, despite having 13 prior arrests and a history of violent offenses. The United Bodegas of America criticized the justice system for releasing Acosta, stating that someone with 13 prior arrests should not have been released on parole after serving approximately 10 years for assault and illegal gun possession.

The NYPD announced that Jesus Acosta, of the Bronx, had been apprehended on Saturday morning. The United Bodegas of America issued a statement thanking the NYPD and FBI for capturing Jesus Acosta, expressing outrage that a violent repeat offender with 13 prior arrests was released and returned to the streets. Radahmes Rodriguez, President of United Bodegas of America, said the group was grateful to the NYPD and FBI for capturing Acosta, but added that the justice system failed when a violent repeat offender with 13 prior arrests was released and returned to the streets. Two innocent people are dead, and the group said it cannot wait for another case like this. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, "To me, every day is an opportunity for us to do more. We're proud of the fact that we're reducing shootings and murders to the lowest levels in recorded history in our city, and we also know that there's always more work to be done -- especially as we're speaking about this in the Bronx, where in recent weeks we've seen the kinds of shootings that have torn families apart."

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on specific details regarding the Bronx shooting location. NYPD surveillance video shows Jesus Acosta entering the deli at 143 East 149th Street, firing a weapon, and taking cash from the register before fleeing.

Why It Matters

The arrest concludes a manhunt for a suspect linked to two fatal shootings within 48 hours that left two men dead and another injured. The case shows the status of Jesus Acosta, who committed these alleged crimes shortly after being released on parole from a decade-long prison sentence for a previous shooting. With 13 prior arrests on his record, the incident has prompted statements from community groups regarding the release of repeat offenders.