A 15-year-old was arrested in Iowa and charged with murder in the shooting death of a mail carrier in Chicago over the summer, police said Tuesday.

According to Chicago police, 48-year-old Octavia Redmond was shot while walking in the West Pullman neighborhood on July 19. According to authorities, the suspect got out of a stolen SUV, approached her and shot her several times at close range before fleeing in the vehicle, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

Redmond later died at a local hospital.

Chicago police said in a news release that their officers, along with U.S. marshals, arrested the teenager on a murder warrant in Cedar Rapids on Monday. He was extradited to Chicago, where he was charged with first-degree murder as a juvenile.

The suspect appeared in court Tuesday and was taken into custody, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said in an email.

His next court date is November 1st.

The police said in a post that investigators had also received an anonymous tip to identify the suspect and would be looking for “further criminals,” the authority said.

Police and prosecutors did not respond to questions about whether the teen has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

The USPS is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects.

“When members of our postal family are targeted, postal inspectors will not rest until justice is served on behalf of the victims, their families and our postal community,” Ruth Mendonca, inspector in charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in a news release Tuesday . “This arrest is the first step in bringing justice to Ms. Redmond. We hope this brings some relief to the Redmond family. As our investigation continues, we maintain our call for the public to come forward with any information that could lead to those responsible continuing to be brought to justice.”

Meanwhile, members of the Letter Carriers and Postal Workers Union held a rally outside the Roseland USPS station on “Postal Workers Day of Action” to demand better working conditions.

“What will it take?” Why do we have to constantly beg for our protection? Our sister had to lose her life,” said Elise Foster, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11. “Right now the letter carriers are scared. We know we have to continue delivery every day. That's the motto. Rain, sleet or snow, we go. We don’t do bullets.”

A report from the US Government Accountability Office shows that the number of reported robberies against postal workers increased by almost 700% between 2019 and 2023.

Meanwhile, a bill was introduced in Congress in March 2024 that, if passed, would allow the USPS to replace universal mailbox keys with electronic versions while requiring the U.S. Sentencing Commission to treat assault or robbery of a postal worker as a law enforcement officer .

“I remember in my career if you touched a letter carrier you went to jail,” said Luis Rivas, president of the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers. “Since I said 2020, only 14 percent of those people have been caught and prosecuted.”

Union members say they are glad someone is in prison for the shooting of Redmond, but still hope for a full prosecution in the case.