13-Year-Old Boy Is Brain Dead After Being Shot in Head Outside Dunkin’ — and Mom Hopes for ‘Miracle’

A 13-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being shot in the head outside a Dunkin’ in Queens, N.Y., and his family says they are praying for a miracle.

Police told PEOPLE that on Sept. 22, around 8:21 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call reporting a male shot at an address in Cambria Heights. When they arrived, they found a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the head.

EMS rushed him to the hospital in critical condition. No arrests have been made, police said, and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage as part of their inquiry, per ABC7NY and NBC New York.

According to CBS New York, ABC7NY, and Gothamist, a suspect approached the teen and his friends before firing a single shot, then fled on a scooter.

Relatives have identified the victim as Sanjay Samuel. He was taken to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in critical condition, according to NBC New York and CBS New York.

Doctors later informed the family that Samuel is brain-dead and remains unresponsive. His mother, Vilene Griffith, told CBS New York, “Sanjay’s not doing well. Sanjay’s brain dead.”

She added, “Nothing is going on. He’s not breathing on his own. He’s not doing nothing.”

Griffith also directed a message to her son’s shooter: “Why? Sanjay was only 13 years old.”

Per Gothamist, Griffith said she may face “the hardest decision of her life” if there are no signs of improvement and life support must be withdrawn.

Despite this, she is holding onto hope, telling CBS that “miracles do happen, and I’m trusting God for Sanjay to get up.”

Neighbors expressed their shock. “We stand with the family … this is a son that you like to have,” Valerie Small told ABC7NY.

On a GoFundMe launched by the family, relatives described Samuel as “a vibrant, fun-loving teenager” who enjoys basketball, fishing, dancing, and playing the drums.

They added that his siblings are devastated and that if he survives, he will require long-term rehabilitation and ongoing medical care.

As of Sept. 24, the fundraiser had raised more than $8,000 toward its $13,000 goal.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS, according to NBC New York.