A 19-year-old died Wednesday after he fell seven stories from an apartment in Soundview.

Police believe the teen was trying to access his grandmother's apartment through a window because he didn?t have a key and his family was on vacation in Alabama. They say he tied a rope or an extension cord around his waist, but it snapped. According to a spokesperson from the city's housing authority, the teen would have been able to access the roof because under fire department regulations doors leading to the roof must remain unlocked.

Some of the teen's family members say he would never have tried to get in the apartment that way. They say he was well-liked in the community and worked as a camp counselor at the Bronxdale Houses Community Center.