Outside his home on Tuesday, the family of Dennis Gore, Jr. put together a makeshift shrine to his memory.
The 24-year-old father of two was gunned down at 55th and Hunter streets on Monday around 1:30 p.m. as he walked to his home with his girlfriend after they picked up some takeout cheesesteaks.
Police say the gunman suddenly appeared and opened fire, never saying a word.
"At point blank range, he fired several times striking the decedent five times in his chest," Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark said.
The gunman fled on foot without trying to take anything.
Gore's personal reputation was pristine, so police are baffled as to the motive.
"Mr. Gore is 24 years of age, he has a girlfriend, he has two small children, he works every day; he has had no negative involvement with the police his entire life, so we don't know what this is about," Clark said.
Two theories police are working on: a case of mistaken identity or some sort of gang initiation requirement.
Police sources say there is a lot of gang activity in that particular section of West Philadelphia.
Witnesses described the suspect as a black male in his early 20s wearing a hoodie and a baseball cap, thin, about 5'7" tall. Gore's girlfriend said the killer did not look familiar.
Gore's family is too grief stricken to speak publicly now. Neighbors along 56th and Stewart where he lived knew him as a solid citizen all the way around.
"He had small children and from what I gathered, he was very active in their life," neighbor Renee Adderly said.
Anyone with information is asked contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or at phillypolice.com.
