NBC10’s Miguel Martinez-Valle reports from Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood Thursday after police said they believe they found the SUV used in a deadly ambush following a Tuesday high school football scrimmage. A memorial to 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde has been growing as people grieve the teenage football player.
UPDATE (Sept. 29, 2022, 11:10 a.m.): Philadelphia police and the ATF are investigating an SUV found in Southwest Philadelphia that they believe may have been used in the deadly quintuple shooting outside of Roxborough High School, police told NBC10.
SkyForce10 was over the vehicle in the parking lot of the Dream Boutique on the 6000 block of Passyunk Avenue. A Philadelphia police cruiser was parked behind the SUV around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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Newly released video shows a group of five gunmen lying in wait inside an SUV and then running out and opening fire as a group of high school football players walked by after a scrimmage. The shooting killed one teen and wounded four others.
The gunmen, who authorities Wednesday said may themselves be minors, apparently targeted a specific group as they unleashed a barrage of bullets Tuesday afternoon behind Roxborough High School. The shooting killed 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde, who authorities said appeared to be an innocent victim.
"I think he's a totally innocent victim,” said Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Capt. Jason Smith. A $45,000 reward from the city, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the city's police union is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects.
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Four of the five who were shot – three 14-year-olds, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old – were members of the Roxborough High School football team, Smith said. The 17-year-old, who appears to be one of two targets, was not on the team but is friends with one of the other victims, the captain noted.
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The gunmen arrived in a sports utility vehicle. It stayed parked near the area of the scrimmage for about six minutes, waiting for the scrimmage between three schools to finish, police said. Other players passed the SUV, but the gunmen waited for a specific group to walk by before they jumped out and began firing.
The shooters fired at least 61 bullets, Smith said. One of the bullets struck Elizalde in the chest, killing him.
After opening fire, four of the shooters ran back into the vehicle, but one of them continued chasing one of the victims. As he fell to the ground, the gunman stood over the victim, ready to kill him, but he ran out of bullets and the gun jammed, Smith said.
All five gunmen got away in the light-colored Ford Explorer, and police believe a sixth suspect was behind the wheel.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the shooting stemmed from some sort of altercation in the lunchroom earlier in the day, Smith said. He added that the gunmen are “dangerous” as he asked the public for help in the investigation.
Joel Dales, a deputy commissioner with the PPD, said there is a police presence at football games, but not normally at scrimmages. However, he said the police department has now asked the School District of Philadelphia for a list of upcoming scrimmages so that police officers can try to patrol those too. He noted, though, that officers will not be able to be at every scrimmage.
Tuesday’s shooting happened as the Roxborough High School football team was wrapping up a scrimmage that also included Northeast High School and Boys' Latin Charter School.
As of Sept. 27, at least 179 minors had been shot in Philadelphia this year, according to data from the city controller’s office.
Anyone with information on the latest shooting is asked to contact the PPD’s homicide division at 215-686-3334 or 215-686-3335.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
