16-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead a Day After His Birthday, Police Say

A popular teenage honors student who had just celebrated 16th his birthday on Saturday died after he was shot on a Brooklyn street in front of a bodega, authorities say.

The boy, later identified by cops as Justin Richey of Brooklyn, was found unconscious near Blake Avenue and Pine Street in East New York shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, police said. 

Officials said the boy was shot after getting into an argument outside a nearby bodega with someone who opened fire, police said. Surveillance video showed him being punched before someone pulled a gun and shot him several times. 

He had several gunshot wounds to his chest, back, abdomen and ribs, the NYPD said. 

The teen, an honors student called "Chuck," tried to get help but by the time emergency officers arrived, he was in cardiac arrest. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital, and pronounced dead a short time later. 

Richey, who wanted to be a doctor, was a pillar in the community, neighbors and friends said. 

"He cared about his family," said friend Keith Watkins. "He wanted to take care of his family, and his family to be all right." 

Another friend said, "All he wanted to do was make people laugh, take care of his mother and his siblings." 

Tyana Hale was emotional as she described her friend. 

"Chuck was amazing," she said. "He would do anything to make someone laugh. He would do anything for anyone." 

Bodega owner Rubel Uddin showed a photo he took of Richey on his graduation day a few weeks ago. He was so impressed by the teen.

"That day he graduated, he has a nice dress. I said, 'Can I take a picture,'" said Uddin. "He's a really good kid." 

Uddin gave Richey a free soda on his birthday; less than 24 hours later, the teen was dead.

It's not clear why Richey was targeted. Police said he had no criminal history and was not known to be affiliated with any gang. Instead, he was known to help neighbors, shoveling their snow and carrying their groceries. 

"He was a really good kid, man," said Mike Blake. "He was probably the least deserving kid in this neighborhood for something like this." 

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. 

A rally for Richey and another recently slain Brooklyn teen, Latrell Brown, was held Monday evening. Brown, 16, was killed last Wednesday in Bedford-Stuyvesant. 

"He lived on the basketball court. When he wasn't there, he was at the rec center, or on the basketball court with one of his coaches," his mother said.

Brown's mother clutched and prayed with Richey's aunt at Monday's march to end gun violence killing young people in the community. 

"I'm not going to stop until justice is done. It's not fair, he was just coming home. That's it. Just coming home," Brown's mother said.

The suspect in Brown's death, 17-year-old Justin Delapara, is due in court Tuesday.