13-Year-Old Dies After Being Shot Outside Dunkin’ — Police Seek Suspect with ‘Jaws’ Backpack

A 13-year-old boy shot in the head outside a Dunkin’ Donuts in Queens has died, and authorities say his shooter remains at large.

Sanjay Samuel, a high school freshman, was in the parking lot at the Cambria Heights Dunkin’ with friends on Monday morning when someone on a scooter approached and opened fire.

He was rushed to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in critical condition. Doctors informed his family that there was no brain activity, and he passed away on Sept. 24, the NYPD said in a statement.

Affectionately known as “Peanut,” Sanjay had just begun high school and dreamed of joining the basketball team, according to ABC7.

On Wednesday, his mother, Vilene Griffith, shared her heartbreak. “My whole world fell apart… Sanjay was the most joyful son I had,” she said, per ABC7. Later, she added, “I’m numb and I’m speechless. I’m just numb.”

His father, Theophilus Samuel, described sitting at his son’s bedside, holding his hand. “Daddy loves you. The whole family loves you. We want to see you come back,” he told ABC7.

The family has said they plan to donate Sanjay’s organs so others might live, according to ABC7 and NBC New York.

An NYPD spokesperson told PEOPLE that the shooting is being investigated as a homicide and that no arrests have been made. Police described the suspect as a male with a dark complexion, last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, white sneakers, and a backpack with a “JAWS” logo.

Neighbors expressed both outrage and sorrow.

“This is a son that you like to have,” one neighbor told ABC7. “He didn’t deserve this.”

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online at the Crime Stoppers website or by messaging @NYPDTips on X.