A 14-year-old boy was shot in the back near an apartment complex in Far Rockaway on Monday afternoon, and he was rushed to a hospital, where he was initially listed in serious condition.
The shooting was first reported as a 14-year-old boy fighting for his life, according to amNewYork, which detailed how 101st Precinct officers rushed to the scene around 3:36 p.m. and how the teen was struck in the back before EMS transported him to the hospital. No arrests have been made, and authorities are still looking to question a male suspect last seen fleeing on a scooter, wearing a black sweatshirt and white shorts.
Law enforcement sources say the shooting stemmed from a botched robbery attempt in which the suspect tried to steal the teenager's scooter, per a report from CBS News New York. That detail supplies the first publicly reported motive behind the confrontation, since the initial police advisory had only described a suspect fleeing the scene on a scooter without explaining why.
A Public Housing Corridor Under Scrutiny
The shooting happened near an apartment complex in Far Rockaway.
Citywide Gun Violence Data
The NYPD separately announced earlier this month that the summer of 2026 recorded the lowest number of shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders in recorded city history over an eight-month stretch, with department leadership crediting targeted foot posts in high-priority zones.
Locally, the trend has looked similar on paper: police officials told a 101st Precinct community briefing earlier this year that shooting incidents in Far Rockaway dropped 25 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, per reporting from The Rockaway Times. The report also said property crimes and retail thefts increased. The 101st Precinct, headquartered at 16-12 Mott Avenue, covers Far Rockaway, Edgemere, and Bayswater, according to the NYPD.
This is the latest in a string of violent incidents Hoodline has tracked in the neighborhood this year, following a shooting threat over a cellphone at a nearby transit station earlier this month and an attack in which a man was slashed across the neck outside another housing complex in August. Police continue to ask the public to stay clear of the area around the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, or the Spanish-language line at 888-57-PISTA; tip calls and messages are kept confidential. The investigation remains ongoing.
