The death of a 3-year-old boy was ruled a homicide Wednesday, after police found the toddler unresponsive and bruised Sunday at an Elmhurst shelter.

Police said they received a call on Sunday from the parents of the 3-year-old, Shaquan Butler.  

According to police, EMS arrived at the scene and transported him to the hospital, which is where bruises were discovered all over the child’s body and was later pronounced dead.  

On Wednesday, a medical examiner cited the cause of death as blunt force injuries to the torso.

Police said the death ruled a homicide, and the father, Shaquan Butler, was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter.

Residents of the Boulevard Family Residence, located off Queens Boulevard, where the child lived with his parents and siblings, were stunned.

“Do you hear arguing sometimes among the couples here, yea it happens. But this is a shame,” said Santo Rodriguez, a resident of the shelter.  

Rodriguez is a single father of two daughters. He said he’s saddened to hear about the death of the 3-year-old boy, which he said lived just two floors beneath him.

“It’s one thing you disciplining them, it’s another you taking your frustrations out on them,” he said.

“We’ve been here around the same time. We’ve seen each other walking by, but nothing intimate,” Rodriguez said about the parents of the toddler.  

Rodriguez said his family lived at the shelter for almost two years and has seen the parents of the toddler with two other children.

Sources tell NY1, those children have been temporarily removed from the residence and are now in the care of the Administration for Children’s Services.    

In a statement provided by the ACS, a spokesperson said, “Our top priority is protecting the safety and wellbeing of all children in New York City. We are investigating this case with NYPD and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other children in this home.”

“Is this person good? Is this person sane to have a child? Is he eligible to be a father? Otherwise, they shouldn’t be walking around with a kid that they can’t take care of,” Islam Abdalla, an Elmhurst resident, said.

For Rodriguez, he believes more proactive measures should be put in place to prevent this.

“It’s sad they should have more parenting. Parenting don’t come with a manual. Everything that’s going on not to blame anything in specific cut they should have more training,” he added.