Second teen arrested in connection with shootout that led to death of grandmother

A second teenager has been arrested after an October shootout in the North End of Hartford that led to the death of a 71-year-old grandmother.

The 17-year-old boy, who was not named because of his age, was charged with accessory to manslaughter, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and carrying a pistol without a permit, according to Hartford police.

The charges stem from the exchange of gunfire in broad daylight Oct. 24 on Westland Street between two groups of young people.

During the shootout, a Kia Sorento that had been cut off by a responding Hartford police cruiser was suddenly thrown in reverse and backed up quickly down Westland. Yvonne Smith, a bystander nearby at the time, was struck by the fleeing car and later succumbed to her injuries. Police later discovered the Kia had been stolen from Manchester not long before the incident.

The17-year-old boy arrested Wednesday was located two blocks away shortly after the shooting suffering from a gunshot wound, Cicero said. He was transported to Saint Francis Hospital and immediately underwent surgery, Cicero added.

Detectives processed “crucial evidence” left behind at the scene by the two groups and later determined the 17-year-old who was shot was actually a rear passenger in the stolen Kia at the time of the shooting and participated in the shooting, Cicero said.

The 16-year-old driver, whose name also was not released because of his age, was charged with first-degree manslaughter shortly after the shootout and sent to juvenile detention, police said at the time. He was arraigned in a closed courtroom because of his status as a juvenile.

The shooting rocked the North End, shocking neighbors and community leaders with its brazen nature in the middle of the day even though the neighborhood has long struggled with violence. A police intelligence expert has said that as many as 20 percent of the shootings in the city have occurred in that area.

The incident remains under investigation and Cicero said more arrests are expected.