A Life Cut Short: Arrest Made in Bronx Shooting That Killed Teen Cewan Tappin

It’s a moment of cautious relief, perhaps even a whisper of justice, for the family of Cewan “CJ” Tappin. After what must have felt like an agonizing eternity, nearly a month after a brazen triple shooting in the Bronx ripped their 16-year-old son away, police have made an arrest. Omarieku Davis, a 20-year-old now known by authorities, was taken into custody on Friday, February 13th, facing a grim list of charges that includes murder, attempted murder, and manslaughter.

The night of January 14th, 2026, started like any other for many, but it ended in unspeakable tragedy. Just past 1:30 AM, outside the Millbrook Houses near E. 137th Street and Cypress Avenue, violence erupted. Cewan Tappin, an innocent bystander, was struck in the chest by a bullet. He didn't survive. Two other men, 22 and 23 years old, were also caught in the gunfire, sustaining injuries to their shoulder and arm respectively. Thankfully, they are expected to recover, but the trauma of that night will undoubtedly linger.

Cewan, often called CJ by those who loved him, was just a kid, you know? A high school student with his whole life ahead of him. His mother, Shakeya Tappin, has spoken out, her heartbreak palpable, painting a picture of a good boy, a child who simply shouldn't have been a victim. It's truly gut-wrenching to think he was, by all accounts, an unintended target, caught in a dispute that wasn't his own. Police believe the older victims, perhaps, were the intended targets of the roughly five shots allegedly fired.

Davis, known on the streets as “Money,” now stands accused of a heinous crime. His charges also include assault and criminal possession of a weapon – serious accusations that point to a violent night and a life forever altered, not just for the victims and their families, but for his own as well. It’s a stark reminder of how quickly a life can change, or, in Cewan’s case, tragically end.

The arrest itself is a testament to the tireless work of NYPD detectives, who, I imagine, meticulously reviewed surveillance footage, gathered witness statements, and followed every lead to bring Davis to justice. While an arrest can never truly heal the profound wound left by Cewan’s death, it does, at least, offer the promise of accountability. The community, still reeling from the shock, will now watch as the legal process unfolds, hoping for a verdict that truly honors Cewan Tappin’s memory.