The mother of 19-year-old Shaquelle Abraham collapsed to the ground when she heard the news. Her son had been shot and killed during a home invasion.
“It’s crazy,” said James Robinson, Abraham’s neighbor. “The young man finally got his life together, getting his own apartment and about to do the right thing when someone took his life for nothing.”
Police say Abraham was inside a home in Northeast Philadelphia on Monday, around 10:30 a.m., when two gunmen forced their way inside.
The suspects shot Abraham in the chest and then fled the scene. Police say his girlfriend was inside the home during the shooting but hid in the closet until the gunmen were gone.
“His girlfriend was in the house with him, calling the police from the closet,” said one woman, who did not want to be identified.
By the time paramedics arrived, Abraham was already dead.
“Nothing was taken,” said Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark. “They weren’t even in the apartment that long. It was a quick altercation. They shot him one time and then they fled the location.”
Police are currently interviewing witnesses, including Abraham's girlfriend.
Abraham’s mother was too distraught to speak to NBC10. Her boyfriend told us however that the young man was trying to turn his life around prior to his murder.
“He just got his job, got an apartment and decided to leave his mom’s house,” said the man, who did not want to be identified. “And they kill him now.”
Investigators say the suspects may have fled in a newer model red Volvo and that there also may be a third suspect who served as the getaway driver. If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.
