A 13-year-old boy is dead after he was shot multiple times in the head in a Philadelphia neighborhood Monday night, police said.
The teen was found with gunshot wounds in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood just before 7 p.m., the Philadelphia Police Department said Monday night. The boy had been shot multiple times in the head, including in the face, they said.
Officers transported the teen to Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, but he did not survive his injuries, police said.
The boy appeared unresponsive when officers rushed him to the hospital, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters, according to NBC Philadelphia. He was listed in "extremely critical condition" as doctors tried to save his life. He was pronounced dead just after 9 p.m., Small said.
“It’s really a tragedy when you see anyone get shot, but especially someone this young,” he said.
Police said two young males had been seen running away from the area, but as of Tuesday morning, no potential motive or suspects had been identified in the case.
As police review security camera footage in the area, Small said authorities are hoping witnesses come forward.
“If they tell us what they saw, and what they heard — even if they heard an argument or fight beforehand — that really helps us,” Small told reporters, according to NBC Philadelphia. “And once we identify who this person is, and we talk to the family, we see if there was any fights at school or fights over social media, or anything they may know as to why or what would motivate someone to shoot a teenager.”
Earlier Monday night, a 3-year-old boy was in a car in which a 42-year-old man was shot twice in the head in the Feltonville area of the city around 5 p.m., while another victim, a 15-year-old boy, arrived at the hospital saying he had been shot in the same area, NBC Philadelphia reported.
So far in 2022, at least 186 minors have been victims of shootings in Philadelphia, accounting for 10% of shootings in the city this year alone, according to a tally maintained by the city controller’s office. At least 26 of those shootings were fatal, according to the data.
