18 & Under 38
Na’Jay Williams-White, 18, an aspiring rapper who loved sweet potato pie
Na’Jay Williams-White loved sweet potato pie with a graham cracker crust. “On Thanksgiving he’d take a whole pie and eat it with a spoon,” his mother Sharee Booker said. “He wouldn’t share it.” Na’Jay was shot and killed Nov. 5, 2018, but that didn’t stop Sharee from making sure his favorite pie was part of […]
Tyler Mulligan, 17, dreamed of traveling the world
When John Mulligan was the chief of the LaMott Fire Department in Cheltenham, he stopped into the fire house with his three sons, Xavier, Donovan and Tyler to sign paperwork on his day off. Tyler was acting up, so John sent him to stand in the corner. A fire alarm pull station was within reach, […]
Tymier Fraiser, 14, a talented boxer looking forward to eighth grade graduation—and Disney
Tymier Frasier’s life was about to change. He was scheduled to graduate from eighth grade in a few weeks and start high school in the fall, which meant new friends, new classes and a different routine. But first, he and his family were headed to Disney World for a week. None of it would ever […]
Samir “Saddi” Fortune, 18, an underground rapper who dreamed of stardom
Samir Fortune, who was called Saddi, always wore earbuds or headphones around his neck. The high school senior loved listening to Meek Mill, and that led to him to try writing hip-hop music himself. When Samir first started out, his mother was skeptical. “I didn’t believe in him at first,” Tahira Fortune said as she […]
Symir Walker, 16, dreamed of playing basketball for the Temple Owls
Symir Rasheed Walker’s life was short, but the impact he made on others was huge. His mother, Allissa Jackson, attended a support group luncheon in which a psychologist was a guest speaker. He talked about a young man whose murder promoted numerous people to see him to process their grief. “I came to find out […]
Ryan Dillon, 17, a Mummer who dreamed of being a comedic chef
The above image, Rydill, was created by artist Elena Cipolia as part of the 2021-2022 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. ______________________________________________________________________________ From the time Ryan Dillon could walk, he was a comedian. He would do anything, including physical comedy stunts, to make people laugh. He also “ate like it was his job,” his mother […]
Tyree Bates, 14, was all about basketball
Tyree Bates had a lot to look forward to: Turning 15, getting more playing time on his high school basketball team, starting 10th grade. But instead of cheering him on as he dunks a basketball, his family and friends are maintaining a memorial for him at 4th and Susquehanna in Kensington, the spot where he […]
DeAndre Bing, 17, college-bound senior who took a selfie with his mom every morning
Tiffany Williams didn’t think she would be a mother. When she was about 17, she became pregnant but lost the baby. After that, she was told she wouldn’t be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy in the future, but about eight years later, she found out that wasn’t true. DeAndre, her only child, was born […]
Tyrese Johnson, 17, ‘a Shark for life’
A gown and tassel were awaiting Tyrese Johnson in a few short months. He was counting down the final months of his senior year of high school, with his graduation seeming like the only thing in his way. After that momentous day, he would head to college with a full-ride scholarship. What would have been […]
Tymir Spruel, 17, a standout basketball player with pro dreams
When Tymir Spruel was 10 years old, his father, Gregory Spruel, took him to audition for the renowned Philadelphia Boys Choir. “Tymir could sing, we heard it in him when he was little,” Gregory recalled. “He sounded a little like Michael Jackson.” The audition went well, but Tymir didn’t make the cut. Still, the choir […]
Jarell Seay, 18, a kind and generous young man who overcame the trauma of bullying
When Jarell Seay was about 8 years old, his mother, Cheryl, noticed he wasn’t wearing the Scooby Doo watch he’d received for his birthday. Jarell had a friend whose parents were struggling with addiction and couldn’t provide the things he had, so Jarell did something about it. “He said, ‘He didn’t have anything, so I […]
Caleer Miller, 16, aspiring NBA player known for ‘peace and all smiles’
At 16 years old, Caleer Miller was 6 feet tall and still growing. His height made him a natural at basketball, as shown in videos of him dunking the ball with ease at his neighborhood court. Caleer cited the Philadelphia 76ers as his favorite team and aspired to one day go pro himself. “He was […]
Charles Johnson, 18, compassionate soon-to-be-father pursuing a degree in engineering
Charles Johnson walked into his parents’ bedroom in the summer of 2007 to express grief over a friend who was just killed in their Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood. That friend was one of nine neighborhood kids Charles and his brother knew who were killed that year. At that moment, his mother knew the family needed to […]
Nasir Livingston, 17, enjoyed riding bikes and playing sports
When Nasir Livingston was about 10 years old, his world fell apart when his mother died. “It crushed him,” said Tyrique Glasgow, who lived near Nasir in Grays Ferry. “That’s where all his guidance was, and it was taken.” Nasir had some run-ins with the law and anger management issues, but he was a good […]
Erica McClellan, 17, feisty teenager with a raspy voice
May 11, 2018 wouldn’t just have been Erica McClellan’s 18th birthday, but also her senior prom. “When school went back in session this year, and she got her senior itinerary, the first thing she texted me was, ‘Mom, my senior prom is on my 18th birthday. I’m gonna save all my money, because I want […]
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Every month, we create a placeholder webpage for each person murdered in Philadelphia. Our hope is to elevate these pages into fully written stories with photos that show who each victim was as a person. Through storytelling, we're shining a light on the human toll of gun violence in Philadelphia.