13-year-old boy fatally shot in head; identified as gang member, reportedly killed by rival teenager.
A tragic incident unfolded in Cambria Heights, Queens, where a 13-year-old boy named Sanjay Samuel succumbed to injuries sustained from a gunshot wound to the head, just two days after the shooting occurred on September 22, 2025. Police sources have reported that Samuel was a self-identified gang member, allegedly targeted by a rival teenager in a confrontation linked to gang affiliations.
On Thursday, law enforcement released surveillance footage of a 16-year-old suspect believed to be involved in Samuel’s death, soliciting assistance from the community in apprehending him. The NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny indicated that negotiations are underway with an attorney to facilitate the suspect’s surrender. Authorities have assessed the motive for the shooting as gang-related, given the victim’s frequent social media associations with a group identified as SSM, which stands for “Sex, Money, Murder,” part of the larger Bloods gang.
Despite being pronounced dead on September 24, Samuel was maintained on life support to allow for organ donation. Remarkably, investigators clarified that the victim had no prior arrests and was not documented in the NYPD’s gang database. Kenny reiterated that the gang link stems solely from Samuel’s online presence, wherein he referred to himself using the moniker “Jay Twogunzz.”
The suspect, who also has affiliations with the Bloods, was captured on surveillance engaging in a physical fight with Samuel shortly before the shooting. During this confrontation, a shot was fired, and the assailant fled the scene on a Razor scooter. A good Samaritan’s dashcam footage captured the suspect’s attempted evasion, wherein he sought a ride from the man but was denied.
Sanjay Samuel was reportedly outside a Dunkin’ Donuts on Springfield and Linden Boulevards at the time of the incident, accompanied by classmates from Martin Van Buren High School. Eyewitness accounts suggest that prior to the shooting, tensions escalated as Samuel and his friends confronted the teenager, resulting in threatening statements being exchanged.
The incident echoed a stark reminder of a similar tragedy that befell the community in 2009, when another 13-year-old, Kevin Miller Jr., was fatally shot at the same intersection. Kevin’s mother, Donna Hood-Greaves, expressed her devastation upon hearing of Samuel’s shooting, underscoring the persistent grief that such tragedies inflict on families and communities.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, as the pursuit of justice for Sanjay Samuel continues.
