A 9th grade student from Chester County, Pennsylvania is dead after he was shot during a botched robbery attempt in the midst of a drug deal.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said Thursday that investigators are looking for three to four people who were involved in the confrontation that led to the death of 15-year-old Jayson Ortiz-Cameron.
The shooting took place around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday behind a Dunkin' Donuts at 218 Nutt Road in Phoenixville.
Ortiz-Cameron and his friends were waiting behind the restaurant to take part in a marijuana sale and had planned to rob the other participants during the transaction, Hogan said.
Surveillance video showed a group of three to four people in a car pull up to the teen and his friends, according to Hogan. An argument ensued that ended with the shooting.
Ortiz-Cameron was pronounced dead a short time later.
The car — a compact, dark colored sedan — was last seen pulling onto Milligan Street. Authorities are now working to identify the shooter and others involved.
"All of this violence was triggered by a little bit of weed and a little bit of greed. It is senseless," Hogan said in a statement.
Ortiz-Cameron was a freshman at Phoenixville Area High School, which opened during the winter break to make counselors available to students and staff on Thursday. The district plans to hold a Day of Healing on Jan. 2, 2018 with a school assembly.
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As police continue to search for those involved, Hogan had a message for the other people in the car: Come forward now and you won't be charged.
"Some individuals may be treated as witnesses rather than defendants, but that opportunity decreases with every minute you stay on the run. We are using multiple investigative tools and leads to track you down," Hogan said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.
