Kanye Pittman

Kanye Pittman was a goofy, bubbly 15-year-old freshman at Benjamin Franklin High School and the only child of his mother, Shani. A Black teenager known for his dedication to his friends, Kanye often asked his mother to let friends who were having trouble at home stay with them. He loved playing Fortnite, had a following on YouTube for his gaming videos, and also played football and boxed. His mother was already weeks into planning a big celebration for his 16th birthday.

On the evening of May 25, 2021, Kanye was talking with a friend on the 2500 block of North Sydenham Street in North Philadelphia, an alleyway where kids often hung out. Just before 8 p.m., three men walked up and opened fire. One of the shooters ran up to Kanye and shot him multiple times at close range. He was struck in the head, neck, chest, torso, and arm. Police officers rushed him to Temple University Hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Investigators found at least 32 bullet casings from two different semi-automatic weapons at the scene. They quickly determined that Kanye was the intended target. The shooting was the second of two homicides committed by the same group within 30 minutes. Earlier that evening, the perpetrators had shot and killed 18-year-old Nasir Marks in West Philadelphia in a case of mistaken identity before driving to North Philadelphia to find Kanye. In the aftermath, the killers bragged about the murders online and in rap songs, referring to Kanye as the "youngbul from the back block" and boasting about getting "two bodies in one day."

An initial arrest was made on September 24, 2021. The investigation ultimately identified the shooters as members of a West Philadelphia-based gang known as the Young Bag Chasers, or YBC. Prosecutors charged Zaire Crawford, Semaj Nolan, and Yaseam Miles with Kanye’s murder. With the help of crucial testimony from a witness who came forward despite threats, a jury heard how the men had carried out the killings.

All three men were convicted for their roles in the shooting. As of June 2024, Zaire Crawford, Semaj Nolan, and Yaseam Miles have been sentenced to decades in prison, bringing a resolution to the case.