Police say the 13-year-old was part of a group of young individuals who were hanging out by the basketball courts at Reverend Dr. Maggie Howard Playground when shots rang out, striking him in the head.
He was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
According to officials, the shooter is described as a male teen believed to be between 15-18 years old, about 5'7'', and 120 pounds.
"A shooting at this time of the day clearly illustrates the magnitude of the situation," said Malcolm Penn, a man from a violence prevention program who knew the victim.
He said the teen is an 8th grader who attends the Eagle Academy charter school, right next to where the shooting took place.
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Penn said the victim was one of the students in the violence prevention program.
"Just a bright energetic kid from the community," he said. "Just full of life. It's just sad man. It's a sad situation."
The man described the teen as an "energetic kid" not known for getting into trouble.
Whether the victim was the intended target of the shooting and what, if anything, led to the shooting remains under investigation.
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Newscopter 7 was high above the scene on Friday where it captured the frantic search for that gunman outside the Stapleton Houses.
Teen in critical condition after shooting on Staten Island
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Investigators initially believed the suspect fled into a nearby building. But the search so far has come up empty.
So far, no arrests have been made.
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