A Pennsylvania community was left shaken Friday afternoon after a 15-year-old high school student was shot and killed just moments after getting off a school bus in Harrisburg.
The deadly shooting unfolded around 3:15 p.m. near North Sixth and Emerald streets, turning what should have been a routine ride home from school into a horrifying crime scene.
Harrisburg police said officers responded to reports of a shooting and found a juvenile male suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers immediately tried to render aid before the teen was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Authorities have not released the boy’s name.
The Harrisburg School District confirmed the victim was one of its high school students. No other students were injured, and the other children on the bus were safely taken home after the shooting.
Schools in the area were placed on lockdown as a precaution while police worked to secure the scene.
Investigators said the shooting is being treated as a homicide. As of Friday night, no arrest had been announced, and police said they believe the gunman fled the area on foot.
Residents near the scene described the terrifying moments after shots rang out in the neighborhood. CBS 21 reported that people living on the block said they believed they heard more than five gunshots.
“Am I scared? Hell yeah, I’m scared. I’m petrified,” nearby resident Beatrice Moore told the station.
The shooting left parents and neighbors horrified, especially because it happened so close to a school bus filled with students.
“I mean, the community came out. They’ve been very cooperative, helping establish a very large crime scene,” Harrisburg Police Lt. Brandon Braughler said during a Friday evening press conference.
A school bus could be seen behind caution tape after the shooting, according to local reports. Harrisburg’s mayor and police commissioner also responded to the scene.
Police said they do not believe the public is in ongoing danger. However, the killing has fueled fear and frustration among community members who say young people are being lost to violence far too often.
Community advocate Tone Cook told CBS 21 the loss was devastating.
“They’re gone. No coming back. So it’s heartbreaking, man,” Cook said. “And it’s something that nobody should have to go through.”
Moore also questioned how a child could be killed in broad daylight while simply trying to get home.
“It’s a shame that our children can’t walk around in the streets being safe in their own neighborhoods without somebody shooting and killing them,” she said. “For what?”
Police have not publicly released a motive. Officers also did not confirm whether gang violence is suspected, but they urged parents to speak with their children and said resources are available through Harrisburg’s gun violence initiative.
The investigation remains active.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harrisburg Bureau of Police at 717-558-6900. Tips can also be submitted through the CRIMEWATCH website.
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