Shooting Leaves 16-Year-Old Honor Student Dead

PHILADELPHIA (CBS3) - Homicide detectives in Philadelphia are trying to figure out what sparked a shooting that left a 16-year-old twin boy dead. The honor student was shot and killed in the Summerdale section of Philadelphia Thursday night.

Hurt and heart-broken, Julie Dotson told CBS 3's Elizabeth Hur her son wasn't supposed to die so young. Ahmad Dotson was just 16 years old who loved sports and excelled in school.

Dotson said, "He was on honor roll. He was an honor roll student. He was doing Spanish last night and he said he hated it but he still did it."

Dotson's cousin, Kelvin Rankin added, "He had dreams of going to college. He wanted to play football, he liked to wrestle. They just took somebody's precious life that had a great future ahead of him."

According to police, the 16-year-old was killed at the corner of Anchor Street and Summerdale Avenue. The family said Ahmad had run out with his twin brother to run to the corner store. But sources told Eyewitness News, they were confronted by 3 teenagers who wanted to settle an earlier argument in school involving Ahmad's brother. The suspects, however, shot Ahmad.

For the grieving mother, whatever the motive, the outcome remains unchanged. Her son is dead. Her hope now is for authorities to take action and prevent another killing.

Dotson said, "Where do the kids get these guns from? That's what I would like the District Attorney to talk about. Talk about this gun violence amongst the African American community."

Police said they have not yet determined if this was a case of mistaken identity. The investigation is continuing as is the search for the three teenaged suspects.