14-Year-Old Connecticut Teen Shot In The Head, Left Outside Hospital; Mayor Calls For 'Tougher Consequences'

A 14-year-old boy in Connecticut was shot in the head and dropped off at a hospital. He died from the injures, family members said.

The teenager was brought to the emergency room at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury around 4 a.m. Monday. The victim, a student at a New Haven high school, was a resident of Hamden. Police did not reveal the victim’s name to the public.

The boy was later taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford for treatment. Family members of the victim announced on Tuesday afternoon that the minor had passed away.

Police believe the shooting occurred outside of the city, WSFB reported. No arrests have been made and the motive behind the crime is unclear.

However, this current crime has become a catalyst in addressing the "crisis" of rising juvenile crime. Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary said he informed Gov. Ned Lamont about the latest shooting Monday night. O’Leary blames the rise in juvenile crime on a small group of habitual repeat offenders. He added that these offenders should face tougher consequences for their crimes.

"They need to be in a very structured environment because they are too young to realize their behavior is not only a danger to themselves, it’s a danger to the general public," O'Leary was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "This is a glaring example of this," the mayor added.

About two weeks ago, another 14-year-old boy was shot in the back in Waterbury. A month before that, a 14-year-old was stabbed to death.

"When I talk to my counterparts across the state in urban settings, I hear the same from them and it's something that needs to be addressed. We've been talking about it for a long time now,” Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said to WSFB.

State Rep. Geraldo Reyes said the call for help and juvenile crime reformation has fallen on deaf ears. "I can't emphasize enough that we've already lost too many children and we need to do something," Reyes said to the outlet.

Reyes added that several elected leaders are working on this issue on a daily basis to find a comprehensive fix. "We need to do something that's right, that's well thought out and can actually be carried out rather than do something with a knee-jerk reaction," Reyes said.

The case is being investigated by the Waterbury Police Department.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Detective Bureau at (203) 574-6941 or Crime Stoppers at (203) 755-1234.