New surveillance video released in Tioga fatal shooting of teen
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Police Department released new security video Wednesday of the suspects wanted in connection to the shooting death of a 16-year-old in the city's Tioga neighborhood from last month.
Police believe those two murder suspects are teenagers and too young to legally have guns.
Security video shows the moments police say two teenage suspects shoot and kill 16-year-old Semaj Richardson of North Philadelphia.
Police say the shooters walked out of a convenience store and saw Richardson. Each then immediately pull out guns and opened fire on Erie Avenue near Broad Street back on Jan. 11.
"It's devastating," Chanice Smith, of the NoMo Foundation, said.
Smith works at the NoMo foundation, a nonprofit that provides a safe space for kids in Philly, and connects them with job opportunities and more.
"We have parents in our program that have lost their children," Smith said. "It's not something you ever repair from. We're providing supportive networks, we're providing resources, we're putting them around children that are like-minded in the sense they want to do something positive."
The need to keep kids out of trouble has been growing in the city.
Data CBS Philadelphia obtained shows 40 children were shot and killed in Philly last year and 41 the year prior. Each of those years is more than twice as many young lives lost compared to 2019, before the pandemic.
"It's a national emergency, honestly, that we're losing our children," Smith said.
One suspect wanted in the deadly shooting wore a black puffy jacket and distinct black athletic shoes. The second suspect wore a black jacket with multicolored markings on his sweatshirt's hood.
If you know them, call the police.
Smith said she would encourage the parents of the teenage suspects to turn their children into the authorities.
"I would tell them to turn your child in," Smith said. "Don't support them because if you're allowing them to do those crimes to commit, that kind of behavior and you're supporting them. Do the right thing and allow that family closure allow our community closure and support."
Police tell CBS Philadelphia so far this year 18 children have been shot in Philly. Three of them were killed.