Teen shot in National City taken off life support

A 16-year-old boy gravely wounded last month in a shooting in National City died about a week later after being taken off life support, police confirmed Tuesday.

Damien Estrada was shot in the head around 9 p.m. July 20 near East 16th Street and Euclid Avenue, police said. He died eight days later.

“It's extremely tragic,” Lt. Derek Aydelotte said Tuesday, adding that detectives were working “very hard to solve (the case).”

As of Tuesday, detectives were still working to determine what led up to the shooting, police said.

Two residents who live in the area told the Union-Tribune they each heard six or seven gunshots.

Officers responding to a report of the shooting found the teenager on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics rushed him to a trauma center, where he was placed on life support, police said.

Witnesses reported seeing three individuals running away, police said.

Damien's mother, Rosa Rodriguez, spoke with NBC 7 late last month while he remained on life support.

“He had a contagious smile,” Rodriguez said. “It was really warm-hearted. Everywhere he went he lit up the room with his big smile.”

The day of the shooting, Damien attended his first day back to school at Sweetwater High School and later went to work out, according to NBC 7's report. Damien had just gotten off a bus and was walking home when he was shot.

On Tuesday, Aydelotte renewed calls for anyone with information to come forward. Tipsters were asked to call National City police at (619) 3364457 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.