Corde Scott got into a dispute with his 28-year-old stepfather inside their Doris Street apartment after arriving home from school Monday afternoon.
As the argument turned physical, the man appears to have put his hand around the boy's neck, causing trauma to his neck area.
The boy was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center.
Detectives are looking into whether the boy's neck injuries were the result of the stepfather trying to defend himself, holding off the attacking 15-year-old.
The boy had a history of being bullied in school and was being moved from school to school.
His stepfather was called to the school Monday to pick him up, as the boy was having a particularly bad day. When they got home, the two began arguing over the bullying.
Detectives are taking a close look at the stepfather who has a violent history, and was most recently in prison for shooting a man in 2018.
No arrests were immediately made.
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