A 13-year-old boy died after he was stabbed Friday afternoon on a city bus on Staten Island, and another teenager is suspected of killing him, the police said.
The suspect, a 14-year-old boy, fled the bus and ran before a retired police sergeant apprehended him, the police said.
The incident happened near Littlefield Avenue on Hylan Boulevard, one of the borough’s major thoroughfares. The police were still investigating, but said at a news conference on Friday night that they believed the incident was gang-related.
“Tragic, tragic homicide today,” said John M. Chell, the Police Department’s chief of patrol.
At around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, an argument broke out on the bus, during which a knife was seen and gang signs were flashed back and forth, Chief Chell said. The 13-year-old was stabbed in the chest and died later at a hospital, the police said.
A 14-year-old boy fled the bus and ran about three blocks, the chief said, but a retired Police Department sergeant who happened to be nearby gave chase and then held him after a bystander said the boy had stabbed someone. Chief Chell referred to the bystander as a “good Samaritan.”
On Friday evening, yellow police tape framed the scene along the stretch of Hylan Boulevard where the police said the boy was stabbed. A blue city bus was parked on the side of the road, its red lights flickering until they suddenly went out.
Maria Cramer and Mark Bonamo contributed reporting.
