Teen killed in West Oak Lane shooting was a "beloved student," School District of Philadelphia says
A 13-year-old boy who died in a shooting in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood Tuesday night was a student at General Louis Wagner Middle School on Chelten Avenue.
Police identified the 13-year-old Wednesday as Amir Akers, and the School District of Philadelphia said he was "very popular" and loved sports.
"This is a difficult time, but I know our community will be there to support one another as we remember a beloved student and classmate," Wagner principal Connie Grier said in a letter to families at the school.
The School District of Philadelphia said support services will be available for students who need assistance grieving after the shooting. A spokesperson for the district said Akers is the second School District of Philadelphia student killed this school year.
Police said Akers and a 14-year-old boy were shot on the 7100 block of North 19th Street at around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Akers was taken to Jefferson Einstein Hospital and pronounced dead around 9:20 p.m, police said. The 14-year-old boy was taken to the same hospital before being transferred to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.
Philadelphia Police Inspector D F Pace said the 14-year-old is in "serious but stable" condition.
"It looks like both of those two young men were playing basketball, or were near a basketball court behind some houses at that location, when some sort of altercation between a number of persons broke out, which escalated to gunfire, resulting in those two individuals being shot multiple times," Pace said.
Investigators recovered about 15 to 20 shell casings and car parts at the scene, which may mean the shooter or shooters got into a vehicle and sped off, police said.
Police have not provided a possible motive for the shooting and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is urged to call police.
Earlier Tuesday night, a targeted shooting in West Philadelphia killed a woman and wounded two other people.
