Masked gunmen chased, shot and killed a teen boy in Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday, police said.
Jamil Wyatt, 16, was walking along through a rear driveway to a store along the 1200 block of Van Kirk Street around 4 p.m. when three armed men began chasing after him and firing at least 60 shots, according to investigators.
“Based on from what we can see, I guess a spider sense for lack of a better word. You feel like something is going on, something’s not right then you flee. Unfortunately, he was shot during the course of him trying to flee the area," Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Wyatt was shot multiple times in the torso and fell to the ground. The gunmen then shot him again at close range before fleeing the scene in a white 2013 Nissan Sentra with light tinted windows, police said.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
"So once he goes down, individuals stand to him or close to him and begin to shoot," Ransom said.
Responding police officers took Wyatt to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:39 p.m. that afternoon.
Police did not release a detailed description of the three gunmen but said based on security camera footage they were wearing all-black clothing and ski masks. They also have not revealed a possible motive in the shooting.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
"It would appear that he was targeted because he was the only one in the alleyway," Ransom said. "But again, we can't say that definitively until we finish our investigation."
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Wyatt's murder. If you have any information, call the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or call or text the Philadelphia police tipline at 215-686-TIPS (8477). You can also email tips@phillypolice.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
As of Tuesday night, there were 150 homicides in Philadelphia so far in 2024, down 37% from the same time last year, according to data from police.
To date, children have made up around 13% of the at least 630 shooting victims in the city, according to data from the Philadelphia City Controller.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
