It was around 11:15 p.m. when 18-year-old Rashawn "Shawnee" Anderson was crossing a lawn in the Abbottsford homes complex in Hunting Park where he lived with his grandmother.
He was just a block from his home when Anderson began crossing a field on the 3200 block of McMichael Street on his way to a convenience store across the street. Police say that's when someone shot him nine times.
Rashawn was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Anderson was a senior at Roxborough High School and was this season's leading scorer on the basketball team.
Rashawn's family said the young man had suffered some setbacks early on but saw basketball as a ticket to a better life.
Action News met up with Rashawn's mother, Tyisha Mincey. With tears in her eyes, she shared her son's ambitions, "He was a basketball player. He wanted to go into the NBA."
Police believe he was approached by a single gunman and say the shooting may be a case of bad blood turning into spilled blood.
Kids from Abbottsford homes where Anderson lived have been reportedly feuding with other kids from 31st Street and Allegheny Avenue.
The Allegheny kids were recently expelled from Roxborough High after a series of fights and shootings.
Anderson' s family says it's time for the violence.
"This has to stop - this killing in Philadelphia," said Janeka Peace, Rashawn's cousin. "Mayor Nutter needs to step up and do something about these guns on these streets. I just lost my cousin. 18. He was trying to get out of the hood to make a better life for [him]self. These killings have to stop. They're senseless."
Anderson is the second Roxborough High School student murdered in the past three weeks. On January 19th, the body of 18-year-old Christopher Foster was discovered at 5500 Morris Street. He had been shot elsewhere and dumped there. Police have a suspect in that case and say Foster's killing is not related to Anderson's death.
In the meantime, the Roxborough High School basketball team had been scheduled to play a game this afternoon. The team took a vote and decided to go ahead and play it in Rashawn's memory.
They draped his jersey over his spot on the team bench.
"Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the family. This was a fine young man who had a lot of promise and a full life ahead of him," Roxborough High principal Stephen Brandt said.
