New Haven police are investigating a shooting that left a 14-year-old boy in critical condition on Sunday night and said that it appears the victim was targeted. On Thursday, city officials said the teen has died.
Police responded to Bassett Street, near Newhall Street, around 9:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting.
“My baby is very strong, he’s very strong,” said the teen’s mother, who asked NBC Connecticut not to share her name.
The victim, the youngest of five children, was supposed to start high school in the fall.
“My son didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve anyone to shoot him at all,” his mother said.
Vernon Melton said neighbors rushed to help the boy before the ambulance arrived.
“I didn’t even want to look at his face because I got my own son too. I didn’t want to think about that could be my son or anything like that, you know, so I just gave him the towel,” Melton said.
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The victim was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was in critical condition. On Thursday morning, officials said the teen has died.
Authorities originally said the shooter was a passenger in a white Toyota sedan, or possibly a Nissan Altima, and he was wearing a white shirt, "Jordan" sneakers and a black face mask.
Later, police said the shooting was not a drive-by assault and witness reports said the shooter was a passenger in a white crossover vehicle.
Detectives from the department’s major crimes division and bureau of investigation are investigating.
The mother of the victim said she wants the shooter to come forward.
“I want them to really pay for what they did to my child, and if you had a heart you would turn yourself in,” she said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call New Haven police.
