Murrow High Student’s Alleged Killer Surrenders To Police

The man who allegedly shot and killed an Edward R. Murrow High School student — while she looked after her 3-year-old cousin — turned himself in to police Thursday, the Daily News reports.

Taariq Stephens, 24, surrendered to authorities at the 67th Precinct station house in East Flatbush. He’s been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the NYPD.

Shemel Mercurius, a 16-year-old junior at Murrow High, reportedly shared the name of her killer with police before she passed away on Tuesday.

Authorities obtained surveillance video of Stephens and another woman forcing their way into the apartment in East Flatbush where she was babysitting her cousin. Stephens allegedly used a powerful Kel-Tec submachine gun in the shooting, according to the Daily News. Police have still not recovered the weapon.

Stephens, who has six prior arrests, was initially believed to be Mercurius’ boyfriend, though that turned out to be false and police are still determining the nature of their relationship. He lived on the same block at Mercurius, according to the NYPD.

Students at Edward R. Murrow observed a moment of silence for Mercurius on Thursday. Some of her classmates also raised $137 for the funeral, according to the Daily News.

“It just touched our hearts that her life ended so abruptly,” student Ebony Campbell told the Daily News. “We felt like we had to do something.”

Mercurius immigrated to New York from Guyana with her father four years ago. Her family hoped she would attend college in the United States.

Mercurius’ mother, Lovern Williams-Oliver, still lives in Guyana and is reportedly trying to secure a visitors visa to attend the funeral. She told the Daily News she spoke with her daughter two days before the murder.

“She is my first baby,” Williams-Oliver said. “I don’t know how something like this can happen to my baby. She was peaceful, loving and inspirational.”