Grand jury indicts Rochester man on murder charge in shooting death of 16-year-old

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — A grand jury indicted a man in the shooting death of a 16-year-old on Hague Street in Rochester earlier this month.

Douglas Smith, 31, of Rochester, and Johnny Rodriguez, 31, of Chili, were shooting at one other when police say bullets hit and killed 16-year-old Manuel Rivera on Aug. 7.

Investigators say a fight over dirt bikes and ATVs speeding down the street escalated into gunfire. Smith was upset one of the dirt bikes almost hit a child the day before the shooting, police said. Rivera was not the intended target, nor was he involved in the fight, police said.

A grand jury indicted Smith on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty on Aug. 9.

Charges against Rodriguez were downgraded from second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon to a single count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He also pleaded not guilty at his arraignment earlier this month.