Queens Teen Critical After Being Shot in the Head Outside Dunkin’ Donuts

Queens Teen Critical After Being Shot in the Head Outside Dunkin’ Donuts

A 13-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being shot in the head Monday morning outside a Dunkin’ Donuts in Cambria Heights, Queens, police said.

The shooting occurred around 8:20 a.m. near the corner of Linden and Springfield boulevards, just blocks from several schools, including P.S./M.S. 147 Ronald McNair and Benjamin Franklin High School. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the boy was on his way to school at the time.

According to police, the suspect—described as youthful-looking and last seen wearing a white hoodie, white sneakers, and carrying a black backpack—fled the scene immediately after opening fire. No arrests have been made as of Monday afternoon.

The victim was rushed to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as bystanders rushed to help the wounded teen. One woman, who called 911, said she tried to keep him breathing until first responders arrived. “I told him, ‘Breathe, breathe, breathe,’” she recalled. “When I heard the sirens, he just tilted over.”

Another witness, a gas station employee across the street, described seeing the boy lying motionless before paramedics arrived. “A baby boy. Lying on the ground,” she said.

The incident has shaken the community, where many children stop by the Dunkin’ Donuts before school. “That could’ve been anybody’s kid,” one witness said through tears.

Police continue to investigate the motive and are urging anyone with information to come forward.