Riley Billingslea was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 13-year-old boy suffered a graze wound and was hospitalized in stable condition.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot inside a Bronx apartment Wednesday evening, and a second boy was injured by gunfire as detectives worked to determine what happened, according to police and published reports.
Police identified the teenager who died as Riley Billingslea. Officers responding shortly before 5:30 p.m. Aug. 12 found him with a gunshot wound inside a residential building near Claflin Avenue and West 197th Street in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx. Emergency medical workers pronounced him dead at the scene.
A 13-year-old boy was also found with a graze wound to his torso, police said. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital and was listed in stable condition Thursday morning. Authorities have not released the younger boy’s name because he is a minor.
Investigators had not announced an arrest as of Thursday morning, and the circumstances surrounding the gunfire remained under investigation. No weapon had been recovered, according to reporting based on information from police. Authorities also had not publicly announced a definitive motive or a complete account of what occurred inside the apartment.
Published accounts offered differing details about the moments before the shooting. CBS New York reported that police sources believed the gunfire may have resulted from an accidental discharge, based on witness interviews. The New York Post, also citing law enforcement sources, reported that the 13-year-old described a dispute involving Billingslea and another person before the shooting. Police had not publicly resolved those accounts Thursday morning.
The shooting happened at 2825 Claflin Ave., according to information accompanying photographs from the scene distributed by Sipa USA through Reuters Connect. Police responded at about 5:23 p.m., and the shooting occurred inside a fifth-floor apartment, according to that account. The building is within the NYPD’s 50th Precinct.
Billingslea’s death came only days after another teenager was fatally shot inside a Bronx residence. On Monday, 16-year-old John Nunez was found with a gunshot wound inside a home on Prospect Avenue. Police said investigators were examining whether Nunez had been handling a firearm when it discharged. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Gothamist reported that Billingslea was at least the 13th teenager to die from gun violence in New York City in 2026, based on police reports compiled by the news organization. The outlet described Wednesday’s case as at least the second fatal shooting of a teenager inside a Bronx residence in the same week.
Detectives continued investigating Billingslea’s death Thursday. Police had not announced an arrest, recovered the firearm or released a final determination about what led to the shooting. The 13-year-old who was injured remained in stable condition in the latest available reports.
Author note: Last updated August 13, 2026.