Detectives said the early-morning attack on a 13-year-old appeared unprovoked, but several key details about the shooting remain unknown.
NEW YORK — Police were searching Wednesday for the gunman who shot a 13-year-old boy twice in South Jamaica, Queens, as investigators tried to determine what led to an attack they currently believe was unprovoked.
The teenager was shot near Rockaway Boulevard and 145th Street shortly after 12:30 a.m., police said. He suffered wounds to his back and left hand and was taken to a children’s hospital. Authorities said he was in stable condition.
The investigation remained in its early stages Wednesday. Police had not announced an arrest, identified a motive or disclosed whether investigators believed the shooter and the teenager had any connection before the encounter. The boy’s name was not released.
Police said the suspect fled on foot after the shooting and was last seen traveling north on 145th Street. He was described as a male dressed in all black. Authorities had not released a more detailed description or publicly identified a possible suspect.
Published accounts provide slightly different details about the moments surrounding the shooting. One report said the teenager was walking to a store when he was approached and shot. Another said officers answering a 911 call found the wounded boy at a property near Rockaway Boulevard and 145th Street. Police had not publicly provided a more detailed timeline explaining his movements after the gunfire.
Those unanswered questions remained central to the investigation Wednesday. Detectives had not said what, if anything, was exchanged between the teenager and the gunman before the shots were fired. Authorities also had not disclosed whether surveillance footage, witnesses or other evidence had helped them establish the suspect’s direction of travel.
Police currently consider the attack unprovoked, according to reports citing investigators. That assessment remained preliminary, and authorities had not publicly announced a theory explaining why the teenager was approached or why he was shot.
The boy’s stable condition was one of the few developments police had confirmed after the overnight shooting. No further details about his treatment were released, and authorities had not indicated when he might leave the hospital.
Detectives continued searching for the shooter Wednesday. Until an arrest is made or additional evidence is released, the identity of the gunman and the reason for the attack remain unknown.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2026.