13-year-old boy brain dead after being shot in head while playing basketball: report

A 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head while playing basketball on Staten Island has been pronounced brain dead, the New York Daily News reported.

The boy was struck in the head as he tried to flee from shots that rang out on Friday. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but was later pronounced brain dead, the newspaper reported.

The victim was an eighth-grader.

Although police have not yet arrested a suspect, the newspaper reported they are focusing on a person and they think the shooting was premeditated.

“It was a hit,” an NYPD official told the Daily News.

Worried parents from the boy's school gathered near the basketball court where the shooting took place.

“They didn’t know who was shot,” said Cindy Perez, whose apartment overlooks the courtyard. “They wanted to know if it was their son.”

“I don’t let my kids play around here,” said parent Bielka Munoz. “Shootings are a problem around here. You never know what could happen.”