Family gathers to remember Philly teen gunned down at bus stop
By George Solis
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A vigil was held on Thursday night to remember the 14-year-old boy who was gunned down while waiting at a Philadelphia bus stop.
It happened around 3:30 p.m. Monday on the 100 block of West Wyoming Avenue in the city’s Feltonville neighborhood.
Police said Samir Jefferson, 14, was shot at least 18 times throughout his body. Police say the gunmen fired approximately 35 shots at him.
He was rushed to Temple University Hospital by medics where he died a short time later.
Quadir Johnson, 21, and Kyair Garnett, 21, are facing murder charges in connection with the shooting. Police say three other suspects are still being sought.
During Thursday night’s vigil, family members spoke about Jefferson’s love of sports, humor and family. He was a 9th grade at Thomas Edison High School.
The dialogue shifted to the gun violence epidemic that robbed him of it all.
“We gotta stop and love one another. It’s only building hate and a vicious circle, and this is what we don’t need,” said the victim’s great-grandmother, Diane Jefferson.
A source tells Action News that Jefferson may have been shot to death because of taunts on social media, however, police are still working to determine a motive.
“We don’t have an answer at this point until, and perhaps unless, one of the individuals responsible for that shooting is going to tell us why in the world three 20-something-year-old individuals would track down and shoot an unarmed and defenseless 14-year-old. We have no specific direction at this point. We’re exploring all possible options,” said Deputy Commissioner Ben Naish.
Just outside of the city in Delaware County, a vigil was held earlier in the day for Samuel Collington, a Temple University student who was murdered during a carjacking over the weekend.
“This isn’t just a loss for the Collingtons, this is a loss for the world,” said Collington’s mother, Molly.
Seventeen-year-old Latif Williams was arrested and charged with murder in the deadly carjacking.
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