Mother of 13-year-old shot in Queens says son is brain dead, but she is hoping for a miracle
A 13-year-old boy who was shot in Queens on Monday remains in the hospital, unresponsive.
Police say Sanjay Samuel was shot in the head outside a Dunkin' in Cambria Heights while he was walking to school.
CBS News New York's Allen Devlin spoke exclusively to the boy's mother, who has a message for the shooter.
"I lost my son, and your mom lost you, also"
On Tuesday, Samuel's mother said he is still fighting for his life in the hospital.
"Sanjay's not doing well. Sanjay's brain dead," mother Vilene Griffith said. "Nothing is going on. He's not breathing on his own. He's not doing nothing."
Still, she's holding onto hope as she holds back waves of grief.
"You're a fighter and we know you're gonna fight through this," Griffith said.
While the person who pulled the trigger remains on the run, Samuel's mother, filled with emotions, had a message for the shooter.
"Why? Sanjay was only 13 years old," she said. "Why you had to shoot little Sanjay? I lost my son, and your mom lost you, also."
No suspects have been named, and no arrest have been made as of yet. The investigation is ongoing.
"Miracles do happen, and I'm trusting God for Sanjay to get up"
Neighbors said the parking lot where the shooting happened is a hotspot for kids in the community -- a community his family says loves him.
"Sanjay was fun ... Fun little child to have," Griffith said. "Sanjay will have the whole neighborhood up and running all the summer."
"He was so well-liked among his peers. So it was very shocking to them, this occurrence, basically," Elvin Griffith, Sanjay's uncle, said.
His family said Samuel liked to stay active and loved basketball and dancing. He had just graduated from middle school earlier this year and attended his prom in the spring.
Even through the heartbreak, his mother is holding onto the hope of a miracle.
"Miracles do happen, and I'm trusting God for Sanjay to get up," she said.