Egypt's interior ministry has arrested a suspect in relation to the shooting of a 13-year-old boy and a 22-year-old woman in 6 October city earlier this month and he has confessed to involvement in the crime, the ministry said.

Shortly following the ministry's statement, Al-Ahram Arabic reported that the prosecution had ordered the suspect detained for four days pending investigation on charges of "possessing an unlicensed gun, and causing injury accidentally."

"Investigations showed that some people were firing guns during engagement celebrations at the same time of the accident, from the rooftop of a nearby building," read an official statement by the ministry released on Facebook on Friday.

Youssef Sameh El-Araby was struck down by a gunshot while standing with his friends in front of a restaurant in Hossary Square on 18 May, and he is currently in critical condition on life support at the intensive care unit at October University Hospital.

No further information was available on the condition of the second victim, Doaa Mohamed Kaoud.

The ministry's inspections of the building and its surroundings revealed the gun that was used, and eyewitnesses confirmed the shooting, the statement added.

The suspect is a student from Fayoum and owns the roof top, and he confessed responsibility for the shooting, along with two other people. They are being pursued by the ministry.

A close friend of Youssef's family told Ahram Online earlier that the bullet that hit him has settled in the brain stem, and doctors say the bullet can therefore not be surgically removed.

The incident sparked shock as well as shows of solidarity on social media, with many calling for a swift investigation.