On the evening of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 13-year-old Amir Aker was fatally shot in West Oak Lane, Philadelphia. He and a friend were near a basketball court behind houses on the 7100 block of North 19th Street when gunfire erupted at about 8:45 p.m. Amir was struck multiple times in the back and shoulder and was pronounced dead at Jefferson Einstein Hospital around 9:20 p.m. A 14-year-old with him was also shot multiple times and hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

Investigators recovered between 15 and 20 shell casings and car parts at the scene, which led them to believe the shooter or shooters may have fled in a vehicle. Police have not determined a motive, though there were rumors the shooting might be linked to conflict between rival groups. No arrests had been reported in the days immediately after the incident, and the Philadelphia Police Department continues to investigate.

Amir was an eighth-grade student at General Louis Wagner Middle School, described by school officials and family as a beloved, popular student with a passion for sports; his grandparents are publicly mourning him and a memorial tree is planned in the Allegheny National Forest as part of the Trees For Peace Memorial. If anyone has information about what happened that night, please share it with investigators.