A 13-year-old girl died after being shot inside a North Philadelphia home on Wednesday evening, Philadelphia police said.
On Thursday, the victim was identified by family members as Alaysia Smith, a student in the Wissahickon School District.
She was a cheerleader for a Philadelphia athletic club, her family told NBC10.
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According to police, Smith was killed in an incident that happened at a house on the 2800 block of North Bailey Street just after 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2024.
First responders to the incident, officials said, were told a shooting happened in the second-floor hallway.
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There, they found Smith bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the right side of her chest and, police officials said, she was unresponsive.
Smith was transported to a nearby hospital where, Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said, despite lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced just after 8 p.m.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Smith's family lives a few houses down the block from the home where was shot while visiting friends, according to Small.
Witnesses told police they heard a gunshot and then saw several young people running out of the house, Small said.
No weapons were recovered and no one was immediately arrested in connection to the deadly shooting, police said.
Police remained on the scene through the night as they investigated the shooting. Small said that surveillance video could help them in the investigation.
Data shows children make up more than 10% of shooting victims in Philadelphia
Children have made up about 13% of the nearly 800 shooting victims in Philadelphia so far in 2024, according to data gathered by the City Controller's Office.
Deadly shootings are down about 40% in Philadelphia at this point in the year compared to 2023, according to Philadelphia Police data. However, at least 188 people have still been killed.
A $20,000 reward for info leading to an arrest and conviction is being offered in the case, as happens in all homicides in Philadelphia. Anyone with info is urged to contact Philadelphia police.
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