Temple University Student Samuel Sean Collington Killed In Off-Campus Shooting In North Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Temple University is mourning the loss of a student. According to Philadelphia police, 21-year-old Samuel Sean Collington, from Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, was shot twice in the chest and later died at the hospital on Sunday afternoon.

The shooting happened in the 2200 block of North Park Avenue around 1:32 p.m. in North Philadelphia.

Sources tell CBS3 Collington, a Liberal Arts student, was killed during an attempted robbery.

Those sources said Collington struggled with the suspect before being shot.

"I live on the next hundred and I have sons too," neighbor Jenna Jones told CBS3. "Right on the block, a young student, that's kind of surprising."

CBS3 has obtained the security alert sent out to Temple students just before 2 p.m.

"We talk about it, we do talk about the violence," Temple student Christopher Rudolph said.

Sunday's shooting has many, especially those who live off-campus, thinking about safety.

"When you get down past 19th, past 20th, it gets a little dodgy," Rudolph said, "Two weeks ago, there was a shooting near me."

Temple University released the following statement to CBS3:

"Temple University is deeply saddened to confirm that a student was found off-campus at 2252 North Park Avenue (Park and Dauphin) this afternoon with gunshot wounds. The student was taken to Temple University Hospital and was initially in critical care, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Philadelphia Police Department is still gathering information regarding the incident. Notification of the student's family and friends is still pending, so we will not release the student's identity at this time.

This is a tragedy in every sense of the word. Our thoughts are with the victim's family, friends and the entire Temple community during this tremendously difficult time."

Collington was supposed to graduate next spring.

Charlie Leone, the executive director of public safety at the university, sent the following letter to students, staff, and faculty:

To the Temple community:

We are deeply saddened to inform you of the tragic death of senior Samuel Collington. Samuel, 21, of Delaware County, suffered fatal gunshot wounds in an off-campus incident on Sunday afternoon. This attack, which occurred at the 2200 block of Park Avenue, north of Susquehanna, only further highlights the senseless gun violence that continues to grip the city of Philadelphia.

We mourn the loss of a bright and thriving political science student, and share in the wrenching grief of his family and friends. Samuel was set to graduate this spring from the College of Liberal Arts, and already was succeeding in his field, interning as a Democracy Fellow with the city. This is a true tragedy in every sense of the word. As a father, this truly breaks my heart and is incomprehensible.

Gun violence continues to affect local communities, and especially young lives, across our city and our nation. We fully understand concerns about individual safety, especially at a time when Philadelphia, like so many other U.S. cities, has experienced a sharp increase in violent crime over the past year.

Senior university officials spoke with Mayor Kenney's office today and we are intensifying our work with the city, community groups and the Philadelphia Police Department to further enhance safety in and around the Temple community. We will continue to communicate regarding these efforts and define our steps toward a solution to this terrible trend.

You recently received an email message regarding the steps Temple University is taking to ensure a safe campus environment. It also outlined some of the various actions being taken by other organizations.

We encourage students to seek support through Tuttleman Counseling Services, located at 1700 N. Broad St. For more information on services and hours of operation, call 215-204-7276 or visit the Tuttleman Counseling Services website.

We know that these thoughts, no matter how strongly felt, cannot repair their broken hearts—so it is with humility that we offer our deepest condolences to those who were closest to Samuel, especially his mother Molly and father Dennis.

Sincerely,

Charlie Leone

Executive Director, Public Safety

Collington's sister posted on social media that something in her broke that can't be fixed.

Collington's mother, Molly, released a statement about her son on Monday:

"My son Sam Collington was and is our hero, and this senseless act crushes us. He was kind and accomplished – president of his class, an eagle scout, National Honor Society, band, an intern at city hall, among many other things. Sam spent all of his free time raising awareness for the issues that meant the most to him. In his honor, we will do everything to make sure that there is Justice For Sam. We are planning a vigil this week so that his friends and members of his communities can mourn, and we are working to offer a reward to help authorities find his killer. We will surely let you know through our family spokesperson our plans so you can help us get the message out and we get justice for Sam.

In the meantime, we ask that you respect our privacy over the next two days and do not call so we can make our plans. We want #JusticeForSam."

Philadelphia police are investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made.

For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here

CBS3's Alicia Roberts and Wakisha Bailey contributed to this report.

In:
• Gun Violence
• Headlines
• Delaware County
• Philadelphia