Bernard Scott Was a ‘Family Kid'

The 17 year old, killed in a playground shooting, was described as a safe kid, who enjoyed being with his family

The mother of an innocent teen who was shot in front of Overbrook High School talks about what happened to her son.

The family of Bernard Scott, the teen killed in yesterday's playground shooting, had moved away from Philadelphia three years ago. His mom, Darshell Scott, says she wanted her son out of the Philadelphia school system.

"He was struggling. With the schools he was attending, I didn't believe they were actually really trying to help him," said Scott.

They stayed with family in Ohio for a year, but Scott says they returned to Philadelphia because she had trouble finding work there.

Scott tells NBC10's Luann Cahn she feels numb about the loss of her son they called "BJ."

"I don't have very many regrets, but at the same time I don't have my baby anymore either," said Scott.

Police say the shooting that killed Bernard Scott and injured another 17 year old, happened at 3:45 p.m. at the Tustin Playground at N 60th Street and Lancaster Avenue, across the street from Overbrook High School.

Police say it began as a fight and escalated when two people pulled out guns. Scott was an innocent bystander.

The family says they were told Bernard may have been at the park watching a game and had nothing to do with the fight involving a large group of kids.

"We can take pride in the fact that, yes, he did do the things we taught him to do. He wasn't involved in those things, we can't help sometimes the area that you're in, the neighborhood that you're in," said Jamal Ford, who helped raise Bernard.

Keith Scott, brother, says Bernard never hung around these types of crowds. "My mom raised him well, she taught him right from wrong."

NBC10's Cahn asked the family about the gun control debate happening now in Washington, D.C. "When you don't have the guidance, people mentoring kids, for whatever reasons it may be, that's how they grew up. They feel like they need to be a certain way to gain respect," said Ford.

Police have the two suspected shooters, ages 19 and 20, in custody.

The second teen injured during the shooting is in critical, but stable condition.
 

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