What to Know
- An 11-year-old boy is dead after he was shot by his brother inside a West Philadelphia home Monday morning, police said.
- The boy was shot once in the chest. He was rushed by officers to Lankenau Hospital where he died, police said.
- The 19-year-old brother called 911 and ran to neighboring homes for help after the shooting, police said.
An 11-year-old boy is dead after being shot in the chest on Monday in Philadelphia's Overbrook neighborhood, police said.
Police believe the Ayyub Leach's 19-year-old brother is responsible for the shooting.
The shooting happened in the dining room of a home along the 5700 block of Haddington Lane just before noon. Ayyub was shot once in the chest with a handgun, police said.
The older brother called 911 and banged on the front doors of neighboring homes for help, police said. The brothers were home alone at the time.
Arriving police officers scooped the boy into their police car and rushed him to nearby Lankenau Hospital. (Fire officials initially said the boy was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.) Police officers in Philadelphia occasionally "scoop-and-run" with victims of shootings, stabbings or other violence. The tactic was profiled in a series by the NBC10 Investigators, in collaboration with The Trace.
The boy was already in critical condition when he arrived, but his condition deteriorated at the hospital. Ayyub died shortly before 12:30 p.m., police said.
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Officers recovered a handgun at the scene. The 19-year-old was taken into custody. Police did not immediately have information about what led up to the shooting.
"We're not looking for anybody else at this point. We believe that he is responsible and as to whether it was intentional or accidental, will be a result of the investigation," Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said.
The 19-year-old told investigators he accidentally shot his brother, sources told NBC10. He also said he had found the gun but did not reveal where he found it, according to sources.
No charges have been filed as police continue to investigate.
Philadelphia has seen a spate of shootings involving children in recent weeks. Last week, a 10-year-old Frankford boy was shot in the head as he walked home from school. In two separate shootings, a 2-year-old girl died after being shot in the head in her home and an 11-month-old boy was gravely injured in a shooting inside his parent's car.
Two brothers — a 7-year-old and 18-year-old — were shot and killed along with their parents inside the family's West Philadelphia home on Oct. 29. A third son is charged in those killings.
