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Queens teen dies from shooting, police looking for suspect with 'Jaws' backpack
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Sep 25, 2025
Modified Sep 25, 2025
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By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Sep 25, 2025
Modified Sep 25, 2025
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A 13-year-old Queens boy who was on life support after being shot outside a Dunkin’ store on his way to school died Wednesday, NYPD officials said, ruling his death a homicide.
Police said they found Sanjay Samuel with a gunshot wound to his head around 8:20 a.m. Monday on the corner of Linden and Springfield boulevards in Cambria Heights. He was rushed to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in critical condition, and officials said no one has been arrested in connection with the incident as they investigate a potential motive.
Samuel’s family told Gothamist they were grappling with how to proceed after doctors declared him brain-dead on Tuesday. Samuel’s mother Vilene Griffith said he was beloved by his teachers and four older siblings, who were all struggling to process his prognosis. She said he loved music and was excited to start playing basketball in high school this year.
“ Why you had to go and get a gun, and why you have to shoot Sanjay to kill him?” Griffith said. “What was Sanjay’s last word?”
Police said Thursday they were looking for a male suspect who was wearing a backpack featuring the logo from the movie "Jaws," as well as a black hoodie, black pants and white sneakers.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said a 16-year-old suspect approached Samuel as he and his friends were walking to school, and that both boys claimed to be in a gang on social media.
“He's not listed in our criminal group database,” Kenny said about Samuel. “This is just based off of his own social media posts.”
Kenny said the boys started yelling at each other before the 16-year-old withdrew a pistol and the group scattered. As the 16-year-old began to leave, Kenny said the crowd exchanged more words with the 16-year-old.
“ At which point he gets into a physical fight with our victim,” he said. “They start throwing punches at each other, and then a shot is fired and [Samuel] goes down.”
The person police say they're looking for in connection with the killing of 13-year-old Sanjay Samuel
NYPD
NYPD data shows there were no other shootings in the 105th Precinct, which includes Cambria Heights and other Eastern Queens neighborhoods, before Monday.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed condolences for Samuel’s family Wednesday night.
“Sanjay Samuel has his whole life ahead of him, and now it's been tragically taken away,” Adams said on social media. “We must protect our city from gun violence, so we never lose another Sanjay. This is our #1 priority.”
Samuel is the youngest person to die from gun violence in the city so far this year, according to NYPD data compiled by Gothamist. More than 20 teens have been killed in local shootings in 2025.
A GoFundMe campaign to cover Samuel’s medical expenses had raised more than $14,000 by early Thursday.
The corner where he was shot features multiple bus stops and is a gathering place for students at several local high schools, local business workers said. A 13-year-old student from one of those schools was fatally shot on the same corner in 2009, leading to the convictions of two men in 2013, according to news reports at those times.
This story has been updated with new information.
For more information about gun violence patterns across New York City, check out Gothamist’s map of shooting incidents over the past five years.
Tagged
cambria heights
new york city
public safety
queens
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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