A 15-year-old boy shot in his Staten Island apartment earlier this month has died from his injuries — and authorities revealed Tuesday that the trigger-puller was his older brother.
Steven Estevez was struck in the head on the second floor of the building on Thompson Street near Wright Street in Stapleton Heights around 11 p.m. Feb. 16 — in what is being investigated as a possible accidental shooting, cops said.
He was taken to Richmond University Hospital, where he was initially listed in critical condition.
Police said he succumbed to his injuries the next day, though sources told the Staten Island Advance he was removed from life support last week.
His 17-year-old brother — identified by his legal reps as David Estevez — was arrested around 9:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and hit with assault and weapons possession charges in connection to the incident, authorities said.
One neighbor told The Post Tuesday that she was home at the time of the shooting — and witnessed the older boy calling out for help in the aftermath.
Steven Estevez, 15, was allegedly fatally shot by his older brother inside their apartment on Thompson Street in Stapleton Heights.
“I heard the gun go off and then I heard the thump and I heard, ‘Oh my God, oh my God!'” recalled the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “They all called the police. I saw David come down and meet the police. He was like, ‘Help us, help us. He’s still upstairs and breathing. Come upstairs and help us.’
Authorities said Tuesday the shooting may have been accidental, but did not provide any additional details.
“I think David is very scared and very sorry,” the neighbor said. “I don’t think he meant to do it.”
She claimed the boys’ uncles would watch the siblings when their mom was at work and “just let them do whatever the hell they wanted to do.”
She said the boys had friends over on the night of the shooting and were playing drill music — which was not uncommon when their mom was at work.
“I watched them grow up from kindergarten to high school,” she added. “They’ve always been together, inseparable. They had the same friends and everything. They were always together — David always looking out for Steven.
The older brother was charged with assault and weapon possession. Google Maps“There was definitely brotherly love and bonding.”
A source with knowledge of the investigation told the Staten Island Advance that the older boy claimed he was playing with a silver gun when he accidentally shot his brother.
He then allegedly hid the gun, possibly because he was afraid, the source told the outlet.
David Estevez pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail during his arraignment, records show. He is set to return to court on March 6.
It was not immediately known whether charges against him would be upgraded.
He is being represented by the Legal Aid Society, which called the deadly incident an “incredibly tragic case.”
“Out of respect for our client, his family and community, we ask the public to refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and to respect the family’s privacy during this extraordinarily difficult time of mourning,” the organization said in statement. “We will have more to say about this case in the coming days, weeks and months after a thorough review and investigation.”
The slain teen attended Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School, and played on the junior varsity football team for McKee-Staten Island Technical High School, the Advance reported.
