Interboro HS mourns loss of Anthony Allegrini Jr. as state police investigate shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- New information was released Monday after Pennsylvania State Police shot and killed an 18-year-old along Interstate-95 in Philadelphia over the weekend.
The 18-year-old was identified as Anthony Allegrini Jr., an Interboro High School graduate who lived in Glen Mills.
State Police and Philadelphia Police received multiple 911 calls at 3:20 a.m. Sunday for traffic shutdown on I-95 at Penn's Landing.
A state police captain said thousands of people were blocking traffic, setting off fireworks, and doing high-speed car stunts.
Two state troopers were first on the scene, according to investigators. They say the driver of a black Audi was on the shoulder, picking up four passengers, and then allegedly failed to yield.
"Troopers positioned their vehicle in front of Audi and exited the vehicle on foot," State Police Captain Gerard McShea said. "While on foot, the operator of the Audi, later identified as Anthony Allegrini Jr., 18 years of age from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, failed to yield and struck the two troopers."
Investigators say Allegrini Jr. was then shot by a trooper once through the windshield while in the driver's seat. The troopers have minor injuries.
Allegrini Jr. was pronounced dead on the highway.
State Police commanders, citing the ongoing investigation, wouldn't shed further light on what commands the troopers may have given Allegrini to stop or get out, as well as why video from social media shows the 18-year-old lying on the ground alone, wounded, without help as a trooper has his weapon drawn.
Investigators also wouldn't say if Allegrini had participated in the car meet on I-95.
While District Attorney Larry Krasner pointed to a cooperative relationship with state police, his investigators, he says, are after the truth.
"We don't know all the details yet, we won't know them until we have all additional information, be that additional video, and we ask anyone out there who has additional video, please come forward to it," Krasner said.
McShea said their investigation could be lengthy.
Along with the incident on I-95, there were other car meetups in the city in Northeast and North Philadelphia. In Bustleton, police responding to racing cars encountered a group that they said threw bricks at a police car and damaged the windshield.
Meanwhile, at Interboro, where Allengrini Jr graduated from last year, students who knew him said they were shocked their former classmate was killed during an incident on I-95.
"It's been brought up a lot around the school," Alexander Bozzi said.
"A lot of kids are really devastated about it because he just graduated last year, so people still know him," Bozzi said.
Students were surprised to hear Allegrini Jr. crashed his vehicle into two state troopers, which led to a third trooper that fatally shot him.
Police say these car meet-ups are extremely dangerous, and Allegrini Jr.'s actions injured two state troopers, yet his girlfriend says he didn't deserve to be shot.
Still, Bozzi has a message for other students who may be thinking about involving themselves in car meetups.
"Be super duper careful with what you do and if law enforcement arrives comply," Bozzi said.
Philly Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw denounced car meetups on Monday. She says "those involved need to be held accountable."
