The boy was shot in the left shoulder inside the lobby of 325 Bristol Street in Brownsville just before 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday night.
[Ads /]
He was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Detectives have determined a group of eight to 12 youths were "playing or hanging out" in the lobby of the apartment building.
They were playing with a gun when, based on video or witnesses accounts, detectives believe one of the youths removed a magazine from the firearm, pointed it at the victim and pulled the trigger.
The gun fired a round - striking the boy in the shoulder. Detectives believe the young person who fired the gun did not realize there was a bullet still in the chamber.
The group of youths scattered after the shot was fired, dropping the weapon behind.
Initially, police said they were investigating if the 12-year-old somehow accidentally pulled the trigger himself.
Both the gun and a caliber casing were recovered by police at the scene.
[Ads /]
No arrests were immediately made.
Noe detectives are pleading for the public's help to find the young man who shot the 12-year-old. They are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
Neighbors hopes the tragedy is a warning for others.
"I would tell my younger sister, you see any gun, don't play with it, don't touch it," said neighbor Shania Weeks. "It's not fun to play with at all. It could really take somebody's life.
RELATED: Eyewitness News is tracking crime and safety across New York City and in your neighborhood
----------
* More Brooklyn news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube