Investigators released surveillance video of two suspects in the murder of a Philadelphia Police officer’s son earlier this year.
On January 24, around 4:30 a.m., Hyram Hill, 23, was exiting a store on Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue in North Philadelphia when he was approached by two suspects who tried to rob him. At least one of the suspects then opened fire.
Hill was shot nine times. He was rushed to the nearby Temple University Hospital where he died from his injuries a short time later.
On Monday, police released surveillance video of two suspects in the shooting. One man is wearing a blue hooded jacket with white stripes on the hood, chest and arms of the jacket. He was also walking with a noticeable limp. Video also shows the face and mannerisms of the second suspect.
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Police said both men arrived in and left in a silver Kia Forte that was stolen two days before the shooting.
A $20,000 reward is being offered by the PPD for information leading to arrests. The city's police union offered its own $10,000 reward.
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Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-3334/3335.
You can also submit a tip to 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to 215.686.TIPS (8477).
Hill's mother, Edwenna Ferguson, a police officer and 17 year veteran in the 12th District, spoke about her son's death while surrounded by loved ones at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 the day after his murder.
Ferguson said her son was set to turn 24 in two weeks. She was vacationing in the Poconos when she received a phone call informing her of his death.
"I wasn't even able to get to my baby. His father was there. His grandmother was there. His friends and family was there but his mother couldn't get to him fast enough," she said.
Ferguson said her son graduated from West Catholic in West Philadelphia in 2016 and went to North Carolina and Kansas to play football before attending Cheyney University in Cheyney, Pennsylvania.
"He was two semesters shy from having his Bachelor's Degree. COVID hit. He went online and like everybody else, he got sidetracked," she said.
Ferguson said her son then worked fulltime at Vision Quest in New Castle, Delaware, to mentor troubled teenagers.
"My son did not have a record. My son has never been arrested. My son had a license to carry and a legal firearm," she said.
Ferguson urged friends and family members to not seek vengeance on her son's killers and instead to let police bring them to justice.
"Let them do their job. Everybody stand down. Please," she said. "It's me Edweena asking you. Not Officer Ferguson. It's me his mother. I don't know if you know him as Hyram. H. Boop. Whatever you call him. Stand down. I'm begging you."
Ferguson also said her son was expecting a daughter in two months.
Hill's childhood friend, Shaka Toney, a Philly native and defensive end with the Washington Football Team, also stood by Ferguson as she spoke.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
