14-Year-Old Malakai Adams Fatally Shot in Queens as NYPD Searches for Suspect

A 14-year-old boy was fatally shot in Queens on September 21, 2026, as police continue investigating what led to the deadly confrontation and searching for the suspect.

Malakai Adams was shot in the back shortly after 3:30 p.m. near the Ocean Bay Apartments at 51-24 Beach Channel Drive in the Edgemere section of Queens. Officers responding to an emergency call found the teenager wounded, and he was transported to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police initially indicated that the shooting may have stemmed from an attempted scooter robbery. According to early accounts, the suspect allegedly approached Adams, a struggle followed, and the gunman opened fire before fleeing on a scooter believed to have been Adams’. However, the NYPD later backed away from confirming the robbery theory and said investigators were still working to determine whether the suspect and Adams knew each other.

The NYPD released surveillance images on September 22 showing a person of interest riding away on a scooter after the shooting. Police described the individual as a male wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, with local reports describing black or gray pants and red-and-white sneakers. Investigators said he was last seen traveling east on Norton Avenue.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the scooter belonged to Adams, although police and several local reports have indicated that the suspect may have fled on the victim’s scooter. The NYPD has also not confirmed a motive, leaving the circumstances surrounding the confrontation under investigation.

The shooting has left Adams’ family and the surrounding Rockaway community grieving. A fundraising campaign was launched to help with funeral expenses, while friends and neighbors described the teenager as a young boy with his future ahead of him. His mother expressed devastation over losing her son at just 14 years old.

As of the latest reports, no arrest had been announced. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the suspect to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers program. Investigators continue to examine surveillance footage and other evidence as they work to establish exactly what happened before the gunfire.

The case remains active, and the motive has not been officially established. Any account that the shooting was definitively the result of a scooter robbery should therefore be treated as an early investigative theory rather than a confirmed conclusion.

Source: am NY