A teenage boy was shot and killed on a basketball court during a neighborhood cookout in North Philadelphia Tuesday night.
Investigators say the victim, identified by loved ones as 17-year-old Robert Reid, was playing basketball at the Hartranft Rec Center on the 2400 block of North 9th Street around 8:40 p.m. A cookout with around 100 people was also taking place next to the court.
Suddenly, police say, an unidentified gunman fired ten shots. Reid was struck several times in the chest and head. Responding medics tried to revive the teen but were unable to. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Witnesses told police they spotted another 17-year-old boy wearing a baseball cap and dark t-shirt, running down 8th Street moments after the shooting. Police suspect the fleeing teen was the shooter and that Reid was his intended target.
"We know that the shooter was in pretty close proximity to the victim," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
No one else was hurt during the shooting. Police are currently interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video.
A referee during the game told NBC10 that Reid was a basketball player. He described Reid as a "great kid" who played at the Rec Center every day. The referee also said the goal of the rec center's basketball league is to get children and teens away from the violence in their neighborhood.
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A family friend also told NBC10 Reid lived with his mother about two blocks away from the court.
