Boy, 15, fatally shot in head by older brother inside family’s Staten Island apartment – New York Daily News – NewsEverything New York

A 15-year-old boy shot in the head by his older brother inside the family’s Staten Island home died of his wounds the next day, police said Tuesday.

Cops called to the apartment on Thompson St. near Bay St. in Stapleton Heights at 11:50 p.m. Feb. 17 found Steven Estevez on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head.

Medics rushed the boy to Richmond University Medical Center, where he died the next day.

A 17-year-old boy inside the apartment, identified by police sources Steven’s older brother, was arrested for assault and weapon possession.

The brother was ordered held without bail during a brief arraignment proceeding in Staten Island Criminal Court Friday. His name was not released by the NYPD because he is a juvenile.

The brother is being represented by the Legal Aid Society, which called the shooting 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,” a Legal Aid spokesman said. “We will have more to say about this case in the coming days, weeks and months after a thorough review and investigation.”

The city’s Medical Examiner deemed Steven’s death a homicide on Monday.

The Staten Island District Attorney’s office were investigating the possibility of bringing upgraded charges against the brother in light of Steven’s death.