Police were searching for a suspect who fled on a scooter after the Monday afternoon shooting in Edgemere.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 14-year-old boy died after he was shot in the back Monday afternoon near an apartment complex in the Rockaways section of Queens, according to police and published reports.
The shooting happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sept. 21 near 51-24 Beach Channel Drive in Edgemere. Emergency responders took the teenager to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Police had initially described his condition as critical before authorities confirmed his death.
The New York Post, citing police and law enforcement sources, identified the victim as Malakai Adams, 14, of Arverne. Other reports reviewed shortly after the shooting had not yet publicly identified him. Authorities had not announced an arrest as of early Tuesday.
Investigators were looking for a male who was last seen leaving the area on a two-wheeled vehicle or scooter and traveling east on Beach 51st Street. Police said the person was wearing a black sweatshirt or sweater and white shorts. Officials had not publicly released a detailed description beyond that information.
What led to the shooting remained under investigation. Law enforcement sources cited by the New York Post said investigators were examining whether the gunfire occurred during a possible attempt to steal a scooter. Police had not publicly established that as the motive, and other reports said the circumstances leading to the shooting were unclear.
The shooting occurred in the area served by the NYPD’s 101st Precinct, which covers Far Rockaway, Bayswater and the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula. Officers responded to the scene Monday afternoon as investigators searched the grounds and secured part of the area.
The killing came as New York City has reported historically low shooting totals overall in 2026. The NYPD said earlier in September that the city recorded 195 shooting incidents from June through August, the fewest for any summer in the department’s recorded statistics. Police also reported 249 shooting victims during that period, another record low.
Those broader declines do not determine the circumstances of individual cases, and detectives continued Tuesday to investigate the teenager’s death. No suspect had been publicly identified, and authorities had not announced any charges.
Police were continuing to search for the person who fled the scene and to determine what happened before the gunfire. The investigation remained ongoing.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.