13-Year-Old Boy Arrested In Connection To College Student's Fatal Stabbing

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested by the NYPD in connection to the fatal stabbing of a Barnard College student.

According to reports, the teen suspect allegedly made comments incriminating himself in the slaying of Tessa Rane Majors (above), an 18-year-old freshman at the private women’s liberal arts college in NYC. The boy is now facing charges of murder, robbery, and weapons possession.

Officials say the juvenile suspect is not the killer of Majors; however, he did allegedly pick up the knife and hand it to another teen, according to a testimony from the arresting officer. Sources told ABC News the boy implicated two others in his statement to detectives, and that another 14-year-old is being interviewed by officials.

On Wednesday evening, Majors was walking through Morningside Park near campus in Upper Manhattan when she was reportedly accosted by an unknown number of people and stabbed multiple times. The college student was able to get herself out of the park and onto a nearby street, where she was found by a school public safety officer who called 911, but tragically died at a local hospital.

The student’s family said they are “devastated by the senseless loss of our beautiful and talented Tess” in a statement on Friday, telling the news outlet:

“We are thankful for the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from across the country.”

The Charlottesville, Virginia native was finishing up her first year at the college, with final exams set to begin Friday. Majors was the daughter of Inman Majors, a novelist and English professor at James Madison University, and the grandniece of famous football coach Johnny Majors.

The school’s president Sian Leah Beilock, said the teen was wounded “during an armed robbery” that occurred off campus in the park, noting in a statement:

“This is an unthinkable tragedy that has shaken us to our core.”

The suspect said he and the two others fled with Majors’ bag, which has reportedly not been recovered. The boy is expected to be charged as a juvenile, with his case to be handled in family court.

Meanwhile, authorities are increasing patrols near the park and surrounding college campuses, which includes Columbia University.

So beyond tragic. Our hearts go out to Tessa’s family and friends at this devastating time.

[Image via NBC New York]