2 Teens Killed, 1 Injured In 3 Separate Shootings Throughout Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia teenager was fatally shot just weeks before his high school graduation Tuesday night. He was among three teenagers struck by gunfire in the city last night.
The family of the 18-year-old Nasir Marks says they were looking forward to watching him walk at his high school graduation at the Dell Music Center in Fairmount Park in a matter of weeks. But with him now gone, his family won't get the chance to do that.
"He was a good child," said Jermane Thurman, the victim's father.
Marks' family had been preparing for his graduation party. But the 18-year-old was shot multiple times on the 3900 block of Poplar Street in West Philadelphia at around 7:30 Tuesday night and later died.
"We was literally making graduation shirts when we got the phone call," Thurman said.
Marks was a senior at Overbrook High School. He was also set to attend Kutztown University. Now his dad holds onto his son's graduation cap topper much tighter than yesterday.
"You never think that you wake up and then the person not here no more. So it's hard," Thurman said.
A half-hour later, just before 8 p.m., someone killed a 15-year-old boy on the 2500 block of Sydenham Street in North Philadelphia. Police say the shooting appears to be targeted.
"Based on ballistic evidence, we know at least 32 shots were fired from two separate caliber semi-automatic weapons," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
The victim was identified as 15-year-old Kanye Pittman. He was a freshman at Benjamin Franklin High School. Grief counselors are being made available to students.
"He was shot multiple times. He was shot in the head, the neck, the chest, the torso and arm. He was unresponsive. He was bleeding heavily. Due to the fact that this 15-year-old was hit so many times, at least five times by gunfire, and the fact that he's the only victim, we believe he may have been the intended target," Small said.
At around 11:30 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot in the thigh on the 3800 block of North 6th Street in Hunting Park. He is in the hospital in stable condition.
Investigators are going through surveillance cameras in the neighborhood to find the gunman.
"We found numerous private residences and businesses with exterior surveillance cameras. So East Detectives are processing the scene, and hopefully, these cameras recorded something that can help us with this shooting," Small said.
So far, police have no arrests or motives in the shootings.
"Our number of shooting victims are up 39% over last year," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
Philadelphia police and other city officials held their twice-monthly gun violence prevention meeting Wednesday.
They also released dramatic security video of a shooting that happened earlier this month on the 5600 block of Chew Avenue in North Philly. You can see several men gathering before some take out guns and start firing.
Police are pleading with witnesses to speak up and help them identify these suspects, some of who are believed to be juveniles.
"There were at least two individuals armed with guns that got out of a car and approached an individual. There's no way that was a chance encounter," Police Deputy Commissioner Ben Nash said.
As for Marks' family, they say while they won't be able to watch their son walk at graduation next month, they are urging whoever fatally shot him to turn themselves in.
A GoFundMe has been started to help cover funeral costs for Marks.
For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here.
