Boy, 13, Dies After He's Shot Multiple Times in Head in West Oak Lane

A teenage boy was killed after he was shot multiple times in the face in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood on Monday night, police said.

He was found lying on the sidewalk on the 6500 block of North Smedley Street shortly before 7 p.m., Philadelphia police said. The 13-year-old had been shot multiple times in the face and head area. His family identified him to NBC10 as Jay Wilcox.

Officers reported Jay was unresponsive when they rushed him to the hospital, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. He was listed in "extremely critical condition" as doctors worked on him.

Police said Jay was pronounced dead just after 9 p.m. He lived several blocks away from where he was killed.

“It’s really a tragedy when you see anyone get shot, but especially someone this young," said Small.

Jay's mother told NBC10 they just started looking at high schools, and he was really interested in Roxborough High's engineering program.

"I'm heartbroken. That was my best friend. And I'm not going to see him no more," his mother, Jasmine Wilcox, said through tears. "He was definitely a mama's boy. He was funny, he was loving, he was goofy."

Jasmine remembered he would do anything for laugh, to entertain his little sister and his big family.

She said she called Jay at 6:36 p.m. and he said he was at a friend's house.

"I said, alright well it's a school night, be home by 8. At 6:47 they killed my son," Jasmine said.

Police said two young males were seen running from the area, but a motive wasn't immediately known. There were several security cameras in the area that detectives were reviewing, Small said, but they're also hoping witnesses come forward.

“If they tell us what they saw, and what they heard – even if they heard an argument or fight beforehand – that really helps us,” Small told reporters in the hours after the shooting. “And once we identify who this person is, and we talk to the family, we see if there was any fights at school or fights over social media, or anything they may know as to why or what would motivate someone to shoot a teenager.”

No arrests had been made, Small said.

Earlier in the evening, two children were involved in shooting in the Feltonville section of the city, police said. A 3-year-old boy was in the car when a 42-year old man was shot twice in the head on West Ruscumb Street around 5 p.m. Another victim, a 15-year-old boy, showed up to the hospital stating he was also shot at same place.

Children make up around 10% of the shooting victims in Philadelphia this year. According to a tally by the city controller’s office, most recently updated Monday, at least 186 minors have been shot in Philadelphia in 2022.

Entering Tuesday, at least 423 people have been killed in Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia police homicide data. That's down about 2% from last year, which wound up setting the city record for homicides in a year.