CHICAGO — Murder charges have been filed in the shooting death of a University of Chicago graduate earlier this week in Hyde Park, Chicago police announced.

Alton Spann, 18, is being charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

Dennis Zheng, 24, was shot to death during a robbery in the 900 block of East 54th Place just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said Span was located utilizing POD cameras the next day, and was taken into custody following a traffic stop near the intersection of West North Avenue and North Sedgwick Avenue.

Officers recovered two firearms from Spann’s vehicle during the arrest, with gun testing confirming Spann was connected to the murder.

Following charges being filed against Spann, Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered the following statement:

“Mayor Lightfoot is extremely proud of the dogged and phenomenal work of the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Detectives to quickly apprehend and charge Alton Spann for the murder of Shaoxiong Zheng. Individuals who commit senseless and cowardly acts of violence, and who recklessly cut short the lives of residents must be held accountable, and it the Mayor’s hope that this announcement can serve as the first step on the long road toward healing and justice for Mr. Zheng’s family and loved ones, as well as the University of Chicago Community.

The Mayor will continue to keep this young man’s family, as well as the entire Hyde Park and University of Chicago communities in her prayers as they continue to grapple with this tragic loss. As communities throughout Chicago continue to struggle with gun violence, protecting the lives and wellbeing of all of Chicago’s residents and visitors remains the Mayor’s top priority.”

According to police, the investigation into Zheng’s murder will continue, although police did confirm Spann was the gunman in Zheng’s murder.