Noah Scurry, a 17-year-old Samuel Fels High School student, was shot and killed while on his way to school with his mother, according to the school district and police. The teenager played on the boys’ basketball team and had the highest SAT score in the school.
Mohamed Elfaki, a 10th-grade Samuel Fels High School student, told CBS, “The basketball boys weren’t in the lunchroom. The whole school seemed upset. I saw people crying. It was just traumatic. He was really smart. Whenever he entered a room, the room always lit. There was always a smile on somebody’s face when you were around him. Just so sad to think that he died.”
According to a Philadelphia police spokesperson, the teenager was shot at approximately 7:15 a.m. on the 5000 block of Rorer Street, close to Tacony Creek Park and Roosevelt Boulevard last Tuesday.
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Monique Braxton, a spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia said, “The principal, coach, players, classmates, peers, are distraught. This is unimaginable for them. The student was getting in the car with his mom this morning in the back of his home, and he was shot and killed. This student was about to graduate. He probably would’ve had offers to play basketball at colleges across the country. And you know, it’s just a life senselessly cut short.”
She added, “He was very helpful even when he wasn’t called upon. If he saw someone walking down the hallway and they needed assistance carrying books to classes, he was the one who reached out to offer assistance. He didn’t get in any trouble here at school. So, no one can really wrap their head around why this would happen to him.”
Following his death, the school canceled all remaining games for the week.
Officers discovered that Scurry had been shot several times throughout his body when they arrived on the street on January 14. He was taken to Jefferson Einstein Hospital by Philadelphia Fire Department medics, and at 7:37 a.m., he was declared dead.
Police found a white Jeep Grand Cherokee that matched the car’s description on the surveillance footage that led to the murder scene.
According to authorities, no weapon was found at the site, despite their original claim that one had been retrieved. Homicide detectives are looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the location of any suspects.
Law enforcement sources claim a rap video that was posted the day before Scurry’s murder appears to show Scurry holding guns while wearing a “joker” mask, Fox29 reported. In the video, he is seen dancing with other people who are brandishing and clutching guns.
According to Fox29, Scurry was earlier shot on the 4600 block of Mulberry Street in May 2023 in a shooting that claimed the life of a man in his sixties.
Philadelphia Police have not released any information on why they believe Scurry was targeted. They have not provided a motive or description of any suspect(s). They are yet to make any remarks regarding Scurry’s suspected or actual social media activity.
