Police believe they have one of the suspects in custody who are responsible for the death of a 15-year-old boy who was killed while walking to school. NBC10’s Leah Uko has the latest and spoke with the victim’s father.
Law enforcement officials in Philadelphia shared an update on the slaying of Devin Weedon, a 15-year-old boy who, police said, was shot and killed as he walked to high school on March 28, 2023.
In the update, officials said they apprehended Tamir Cole, 20, in April of last year for his suspected involvement in a robbery that happened the night before Weedon's slaying.
On Wednesday, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said that, officials now believe Cole was suspect number two that could be seen in surveillance images of the people believed to be responsible for this deadly shooting.
And, Vanore said, officials believe they are "moving closer" to apprehending the other individuals sought in this shooting.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Last year, shortly after Weedon's slaying, police officials said they were seeking four suspects in the shooting.
According to police, the shooting that took Weedon's life took place just before 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the corner of West Hunting Park Avenue and North 16th Street in the Nicetown neighborhood.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Officers responding to the scene found Weedon suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest and he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced.
Police have said that robbery was the motive for the deadly shooting.
Officials have said that, in the moments before the shooting, Weedon was involved in a fight with four other young people -- one who was armed with a handgun.
Weedon was a 10th grade student at nearby Mastery-Simon Gratz High School.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said that Cole has been charged with murder and conspiracy offenses -- and he expects other charges to be added, as well.
“These were robbers, they were robbing people and they were willing to do anything if the robbery went a certain direction. They did this," said Krasner.
Also, during the day, Gary Weedon, the father of the victim, noted that his son was simply walking to school when he was approached from behind and robbed, then he was shot and killed as he attempted to defend himself.
“It’s hard, you know, when you have a son who makes you so proud as a dad and one minute you hug him and say you love him and the next minute you get a phone call saying he was shot," said the teen's father.
And, though it's been more than a year since his son's slaying, Weedon said that he felt a "little piece of justice" with the arrest of one of the individuals believed to be involved in Devin's slaying.
“I miss my son a lot,” he said. “But I got a little piece of justice because somebody has been arrested and, that one arrested probably saved another child or somebody else.”
Police officials declined to comment on what led officials to this break in the more than a year old case.
And, they said, an investigation is ongoing as they work to apprehend the other individuals involved in this incident.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
