A late-night family gathering in Strawberry Mansion ended in fatal violence. On November 25, 2025, 46-year-old Reginald Bates was shot inside a rowhome on the 2100 block of North 32nd Street after an argument with a younger relative. Officers found Bates unresponsive on the kitchen floor with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest; he was taken to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 12:47 a.m.

Investigators say the confrontation involved a 19-year-old relative, Elijah Jones, who allegedly produced a firearm and shot Bates twice in front of other family members, including at least one child. A semi-automatic handgun and a loaded magazine were recovered inside the home; police say Jones was seen fleeing the scene in all-black clothing and a camouflage face mask and is wanted in connection with the killing. A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Tributes and online memorials describe Bates as compassionate and supportive, and neighbors and family are mourning the sudden loss. Did anyone in the Strawberry Mansion area see or hear anything that night, or have information about Elijah Jones’s whereabouts?