Boy, 12, left paralyzed from gunshot intended for brother: Cops By Wire and Staff Report Published article NEW YORK - A 12-year-old New York boy is paralyzed below the waist after he was shot through a window by a man who had a "beef" with his older brother, the boy's mother says. Seventh-grader Matthew 'M.J.' Rivera had finished his virtual school day on Monday and was sweeping the floor when a black vehicle pulled up outside his family's house in Troy, the Times Union reported. At about 3:45 p.m., a passenger took out a gun and fired at the house, police said. One bullet broke a window, pierced the living room couch and struck M.J. in the back, the boy's mother, Jona Rivera, told the newspaper.