NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — The 16-year-old boy shot in the head in National City this week remains on life support and is “fighting for his life,” according to a relative who posted a video live on Facebook.
The victim, Damien Estrada, underwent testing on Friday to determine his level of brain activity and the results appeared grim, according to the boy’s uncle Marcos Navarro. However, there have been signs of movement in Estrada’s legs, and the family is praying for a miracle, the uncle told CBS 8.
National City police continue to search for three suspects seen running away from the scene of the crime on Wednesday shortly after 9 p.m. where Estrada was shot at the intersection of East 16th Street and Euclid Avenue. Investigators have looked at surveillance video from homes in the neighborhood but have not released detailed descriptions of the suspects.
Estrada is the oldest of four children in his family. He has two brothers and one sister, Navarro said.
“My nephew is still very much alive. He is fighting for his life. He is a fighter,” Navarro said in his Facebook video.
“People have been posting ‘rest in peace, Damien’ and he’s still very much alive,” the uncle posted.
Investigators at the shooting scene Wednesday night told reporters the boy’s wound was “not survivable.”
Estrada is a student at nearby Sweetwater Union High School, which held its first day of classes Wednesday for the current school year, the uncle confirmed.
Gun violence was to blame for the deaths of several teenagers in recent months, including Erick Balanzar, 14, in the Mount Hope neighborhood on January 31; Omar Marquez Jr, 15, in Lemon Grove on June 11; Kevin Burton, 18, in the College Area on June 25; and Enrique Medina, 14, in City Heights on July 10.
If you have any information regarding the shooting of Damien Estrada, contact the National City Police Department.
The Estrada family has set up a gofundme page to help with expenses.
Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version.
WATCH: 16-year-old boy suffers life-threatening gunshot wound in National City
