12-Year-Old Armed Boy, Thomas Siderio, Killed By Officers In South Philadelphia Shooting, Police Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police have released more information in regards to an officer-involved shooting in South Philadephia that claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy. Police identified the 12-year-old as Thomas Siderio on Wednesday.
CBS3 obtained security video from after the shooting.
You can hear the voice of what sounds like an injured Philadelphia police officer after a gun battle rocked this South Philly neighborhood Tuesday night.
Police say four officers from the South Task Force, dressed in plainclothes in an unmarked vehicle, were doing surveillance at 18th and Johnson Streets.
Investigators say a social media post initially led the officers into this area for a gun investigation.
Officers then saw two boys on bicycles, one of them was a 12-year-old with a gun. Officers then turned on their vehicle's police lights. That's when officers say someone opened fire on the vehicle.
"The officer that was positioned in the rear passenger seat he was stuck by shards of glass in his face and in his eyes," Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Ben Naish said.
Police say the boys then ran away as officers exchanged fire. A bullet struck the 12-year-old in his back and exited his left chest, killing him.
"I came to the door and I looked over here and the boy was on my pavement," neighbor Maureen Flocco said.
Siderio was a seventh-grader at Sharswood Elementary School. Police provided this photo of him when he was reported missing in April 2020, but returned home four days later.
Meantime, the shooting also left bullet holes in two parked cars.
"You hear the two different sounds so you know it was two different guns that were going off," neighbor Albert Didomenico said.
Police also recovered from the scene a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun that was equipped with a laser.
Police are investigating to figure out exactly who fired at those officers.
"I don't understand these kids with these guns. Where are they getting them from?" Flocco said. "Everything nowadays, everything involves a weapon. You don't know what anyone has on them. There's no respect and there's no honor anymore."
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw addressed the shooting in a statement.
"Last night, a young child with a gun in their hand purposely fired a weapon at our officers and by miracle, none of the officers suffered life-threatening injuries," Outlaw said. "However, the life of a young man was cut tragically short, and we should all be questioning how we as a society have failed him and so many other young people like him. I ask that our community come together and be the community—the village—that we were intended to be and that our children need. I assure the public that a fair and thorough investigation will be conducted by our Internal Affairs Division. Per protocol, these officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation."
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Their identities are not known at this time.
A second person, a 17-year-old boy, was questioned by police and later released.
CBS3's Alicia Roberts, Matt Petrillo and Ross DiMattei contributed to this story.
For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here.
