15-Year-Old Girl Dies Following Playground Shooting 1 Week After Her Birthday: 'It's Very Tragic'

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A 15-year-old girl has died after she was shot Tuesday while playing basketball in Philadelphia’s Tioga section, according to Philadelphia police.

The victim, identified as Simone-Monea Rogers, was playing with her brother and two friends on the courts at the Jerome Brown Playground just before 9 p.m. when shots were fired in the group’s direction.

Rogers, who had turned 15 the week prior, was struck twice in the head. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries the following day.

Small said that Rogers was alone lying face down on the court when officers first reached her. He believes at least ten other people were within the vicinity when the shots were fired.

On Wednesday, fellow Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Frank Vanore claimed “at least one possible 4-year-old” was in the area when shots were fired. He also suggested these were stray bullets.

“It’s very scary and very disgusting that somebody would just fire into a crowd of people that have nothing to do with anything,” Vanore said, viaABC6.

Rogers was heading into the ninth grade at West Catholic Preparatory High School, her mother told CBS3. The teen was well-known to the staff at the playground, who considered her to be “a really nice girl,” according to Small.

“I don’t know anyone who would intentionally shoot at a 15-year-old girl playing basketball,” the chief inspector said Friday.

An arrest still has not been made in connection with the crime. Deputy Police Commissioner Benjamin Naish said detectives were still looking for any potential ballistic evidence while continuing to assess surveillance footage of the area, according to thePhiladelphia Inquirer.

Naish said Friday that investigators believe that “based on the number of people that were out there and some of the activity going on in the neighborhood, it’s likely some people have information about this tragic incident.” He urged members of the community with information to speak up, anonymously or not.

“If we don’t get an opportunity to stop this violence in its tracks right now, it will continue to get worse,” Naish said, per theInquirer. “And it is going to take somebody stepping forward.”

source: people.com