4-year-old dies after thrown from building by brother, police say
NEW YORK — Authorities say a 20-year-old man is in custody after he threw his 4-year-old brother from their New York City apartment building, killing the child.
Officers responding to a 911 call at 3:30 a.m. Saturday found 4-year-old Shimron Smith lying unconscious and unresponsive in the courtyard of a Brooklyn building. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police believe the child’s older brother tossed him from the roof or from the family’s sixth-floor apartment. Charges are pending.
Neighbors say the older brother has a history of mental illness. One building resident tells the Daily News that the brother seemed to be “a little off.” Other neighbors recall seeing the alleged killer aimlessly walking up and down the building steps.