As the search for the escaped teen continues, the daughter of the woman he is accused of killing spoke with NBC10’s Johnny Archer about who her mother was and how she knew Shane Pryor before her murder.
As the search for an escaped teen murder suspect who fled from a Philadelphia children's hospital entered its third day, video shows him leaving the medical facility, while the family of the woman he is accused of killing is reacting to his escape.
Video released Thursday shows Shane Pryor leaving the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The 17-year-old was brought to CHOP for an apparent hand injury just before noon Wednesday.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Pryor -- who was charged as an adult in a 2020 homicide -- escaped from his escorting staff at the hospital at 11:51 a.m., according to the U.S. Marshals. Five minutes later, he was spotted on surveillance video in the lobby of the Hub for Clinical Collaboration building at CHOP, investigators said.
Pryor asked an employee if he could use a phone but was denied, according to officials. Pryor then exited the building, police said.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
By 12:29 p.m. that day, Pryor had obtained transportation out of University City, according to investigators. Police initially believed Pryor was driving a stolen Ford F-150. That vehicle is no longer being sought as part of the investigation however, according to the U.S. Marshals.
Pryor was last seen in the area of University Avenue and Civic Center Boulevard on Wednesday, police said.
Escaped teen considered dangerous
"He never mentioned anything like this, I never had indication he would even do something like this," Pryor's mother -- who asked not to be named or have her face shown -- told NBC10.
Police said they don't believe he has any weapons, but he is considered dangerous.
Witnesses told police that the prisoner may have removed his sweatshirt and is now wearing just a blue T-shirt, Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore told reporters. Pryor allegedly asked witnesses if he could use their phones.
No lockdowns were in place Wednesday, and the CHOP Emergency Room remained open, Vanore said.
In the immediate aftermath of the escape, police searched buildings near CHOP and a nearby parking garage, Vanore explained. He said that it was possible Pryor had left the area since his escape.
Another person in custody who police say may have picked Pryor up
Investigators believe Pryor called an unidentified person up within an hour of escaping, who then picked him up in a car and dropped him off at an undisclosed location. Police stopped the vehicle in the city on Wednesday night, Vanore said, but Pryor was not in the car.
The person who picked Pryor up was in custody Thursday and being questioned by police. That person has not been charged with any crimes however and is not being called an accomplice. Police said they are hoping to find out from the person where Pryor might be and any additional information on the teen.
Police also confirmed a woman had been questioned by investigators earlier on Thursday in connection to the search for Pryor. She was later released, however.
What we know about Shane Pryor
Pryor turns 18 next month, stands about 5-foot, 7-inches and weighs about 180 pounds, according to police.
He was last seen wearing blue sweatpants and a sweatshirt without shoes, police said.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Pryor's arrest.
If you see Pryor, police urge you to not approach him, but to call 911 right away.
You can also submit a tip by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477).
A mother's plea for her son to peacefully surrender: 'let us fight for you'
Pryor's mother told NBC10 what she would say to him if she could.
"I’m just pleading with you to turn yourself in so situations don’t get as worse as is already becoming and just let us fight for you the best that we can for where the situation is now so that things don’t get worse," she said. "I just don’t want him to get hurt out there.”
Why was Shane Pryor in custody?
Court documents show Pryor was in custody on murder and weapons charges. Vanore explained that Pryor has remained in custody since his October 2020 arrest and is currently awaiting trial.
A judge recently denied Pryor's request to be tried as a juvenile, and his lawyer now thinks that may be why Pryor escaped.
Pryor's lawyer, Paul DiMaio, told NBC10 that his client has always maintained his innocence.
"I just think the kid is scared. The judge denying the decertification may be the reason for his escape since he has always maintained his innocence," DiMaio said.
Pryor was just 14 years old when police said he shot Tanya Harris in the head and killed her in a rear alley along Torresdale Avenue, according to court documents.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
A court affidavit goes on to say that Pryor said it was the other juvenile that he was with who shot Harris.
But, police then said that Pryor's statement to them conflicted with video at the scene, so they charged him with murder and related offenses. He has been held in custody without bail since.
Victim's family devastated by escape
The daughter of the victim Pryor is accused of killing -- who asked not to be named -- told NBC10 that her family is devastated he was able to escape.
She said that Harris met Pryor through her son and took him in when he needed a place to stay for three months. During that time Harris provided food and a home for Pryor.
Harris' daughter said her mother had a huge heart and loved kids. She doesn't know why her mother would be killed.
Pryor wasn't living with Harris at the time of her murder, according to Harris' daughter.
She also thinks Pryor's escape might be a blessing in disguise once he is found because it might speed up the court process. She believes it's dragged on too long.
The victim's daughter wants Pryor to be "punished to the fullest extent of the law and tried as an adult."
A previous escape attempt
Wednesday wasn't Shane Pryor's first attempt at escaping, police told NBC10.
According to court documents, when police first stopped Pryor following the homicide that he was a suspect in, officers asked him to sit in the back of their patrol vehicle.
Pryor then allegedly tried to break away and run. He was eventually stopped and transported to homicide detectives.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
