A 16-year-old boy in Arizona died 10 days after he was allegedly shot by his girlfriend's stepbrother while the teen was at her family's home to make Christmas cookies. Gilbert Police said that the teenager died on Tuesday, December 23, after he was allegedly shot by his girlfriend's stepbrother, Rael Sanchez, while spending time at his girlfriend's house on December 13, attorney Courtney Sullivan - who is representing the victim's family - confirmed to KNOE. A court hearing for the case was held on Friday, December 26. According to the outlet, a state prosecutor called the incident a "horrific and unprovoked shooting of an innocent teenage victim." Sanchez, 21, was initially booked on a charge of attempted second-degree murder and was ordered held on a $1 million cash-only bond. However, that charge was upgraded to first-degree murder following the death of the 16-year-old. He remains in custody, and his bond has been amended to $2 million. A status conference is scheduled to be held on January 2, 2026, while a preliminary hearing will take place on January 5, 2026, according to online court records viewed by Us Weekly. The victim's girlfriend reportedly told police that Sanchez asked her boyfriend for his phone number before the shooting, according to court documents obtained by Arizona's Family. After the boyfriend said no, the suspect asked if he wanted his number and laughed before he left the room. Authorities Charge Teens with 'Horrific' Murder of Girl Over Online Beef Later that same day, the couple encountered Sanchez again when they went outside to the back patio. The suspect was allegedly slurring his words and aggressively told the victim, "You ain't s**t. You ain't about s**t." The victim's girlfriend alleged to police that Sanchez was holding a bag of an unknown substance, and that he repeatedly said "take me to Asia" to her boyfriend, which made the victim uncomfortable. The couple then returned to the inside of the home, with the girlfriend telling police she heard a loud "pop" sound before her boyfriend fell to the floor. The bullet reportedly went through the teen's neck and damaged his spine. The victim was unable to speak after he woke up in the hospital, and he was not able to feel his arms or legs. Prior to his death, hospital staff told police that he would likely be paralyzed if he survived. Sanchez allegedly fled the scene after the shooting, though police were able to locate him the following day. The court documents claimed that he refused to speak with detectives, and he cited his right to have an attorney present during questioning. 15-Year-Old Boy Charged With the Murder of 9-Year-Old Aria Thorpe The suspect's family members told police that Sanchez was dealing with mental health issues at the time of the deadly incident. Gilbert Police did not immediately respond to Us Weekly's request for comment. Sarah Harper, a neighbor whose child heard the gunshot and called 911, told KNOE that they live in a fairly safe area. "We don't have this kind of thing here," she said. "It has been a reminder that, in a time when it's really easy to be disconnected from your neighbors, to not be." She also added that the timing of the incident made it even more difficult to process. "There's not a good time to have this kind of devastation in your family," Harper said. "It's harder around the holidays, for a lot of reasons."