Shortly before classes began on the morning of May 24, 2023, 15-year-old Derrick A. Harris Jr. was shot multiple times near the front steps of Oliver Citywide Academy in Pittsburgh. A gunshot detection system registered 11 rounds. Police found Derrick critically injured around 7:30 a.m.; he was taken to a nearby hospital and died of his wounds.

Officers at the scene saw a male running away with a firearm. That person, identified as 15-year-old fellow student Jaymier Perry, was taken into custody without further incident and a weapon was recovered. Perry was arrested and charged as an adult with criminal homicide, possession of a firearm by a minor, and carrying a firearm without a license. Students en route to the school were rerouted to another building while the site was secured.

Derrick’s parents, Derrick Harris Sr. and Erin M. Krall, described him as a funny kid who loved basketball and video games and was a great brother to four siblings. The motive has not been established, though reports mentioned a possible prior incident between the teenagers. If anyone knew Derrick, Jaymier, or saw what happened that morning, please share what you remember.