Teen Riding Bike Shot Dead in North Philly in Apparent Drive-by

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A 17-year-old boy was shot dead while riding his bike in North Philadelphia Thursday night as bullets hit at least one home and a parked car, police said.

Investigators believe it may have been a drive-by shooting as witnesses described a pickup going through the area when gunfire rang out around 10:53 p.m. near the intersection of 2nd and Allegheny streets, Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Officers found the victim, Javeth Reynoso, 17, of the 2900 block of Lawrence Street, still partially on his bike, between two parked cars and suffering from multiple gunshots to his torso, Small said. They rushed him to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 p.m.

Gunfire also went through the front door of a home and into its living room, the chief inspector said. A parked car was also struck by bullets, but no one else was hurt, Small said.

The 17-year-old is the latest victim in a gun violence crisis that the city has struggled to stem.

As of Thursday night, 104 people had been killed in the city this year, according to statistics from the Philadelphia Police Department. Figures from the city controller’s office – last updated Wednesday – show at least 93 of the homicide victims have died due to gunfire.

The controller’s office tally also shows nine fatal and 20 nonfatal shootings involving minors as of March 17.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw – speaking this week about the arrests of multiple underage carjackers – warned that both the perpetrators and victims of violent crimes are getting younger.

“We know that young people are also trigger pullers. We also know, as such, that our victims are also becoming younger, not just of carjackings but of violent crime in general,” she said.