Holly MatkinPhiladelphia, PA – A 14-year-old boy was chased down by a group of gunmen and shot at least 18 times in a broad-daylight attack on Monday afternoon.
Police said the shooters fired at least 36 rounds during the horrific incident, WCAU reported.
Samir Jefferson, 14, was waiting for a bus on the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Rising Sun Avenue in the Fentonville neighborhood at about 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 when he came under attack, witnesses told police.
Investigators said the suspects jumped out of a car and chased Jefferson for about a block as they gunned him down, WTXF reported.
They fled in the vehicle after Jefferson collapsed on the sidewalk, according to police.
The teen was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WTXF reported.
COPS: At least 30 shots fired in shooting that killed a 14 year old boy on the 100 block of W. Wyoming. @PhillyPolice say he was waiting for the bus when a car pulled up and two shooters got out and chased him one block. Detectives say 14 y/o was shot 18x. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/t58FyoeP5I
— Dave Kinchen 🇺🇸 (@DaveKinchenUSA) November 29, 2021
Police later stopped the suspect vehicle at the intersection of Somerville Avenue and 5th Street, according to WCAU.
A female who allegedly witnessed the shooting was taken into custody, as were two males police initially described as persons of interest.
Authorities have since charged 20-year-old Qadir Johnson and 21-year-old Kyair Garnett in connection to the shooting, but say that they are looking for three additional suspects, according to WTXF.
Investigators currently don’t have a motive for the attack.
“Unless one of the individuals responsible for that shooting is going to tell us why in the world three twenty-something-year-old individuals would track down and shoot an unarmed and defenseless 14-year-old, we have no specific direction at this point,” Deputy Commissioner Ben Naish said.
Investigators said they have located multiple surveillance cameras in the area where Jefferson was murdered, WCAU reported.
A total of at least 194 children have been shot in Philadelphia so far this year, according to the news outlet.
At least 31 of those shootings were fatal.
The city’s homicide rate is shattering prior records, with at least 508 people killed year-to-date, WCAU reported.
“Earlier today, we lost another young life to senseless gun violence – the fourth since yesterday,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters after Jefferson’s murder on Monday. “My heart grieves for the victims, their families, and this city. While we cannot bring back those lost, the Philadelphia Police Department will ensure that these cases are fully investigated so that these victims and their families receive closure and justice.”
