Philadelphia 15-year-old shot, killed after leaving school early; mother pleads for public's help

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia teenager left school early and was gunned down in broad daylight.

Now, his mother is looking for the public's help in finding his killer.

Esther Kim says her son, 15-year-old Neko Rivera, would do anything for his family and friends.

"He's a rider. He rides for you, and he will ride for you hard, he's loyal," she said.

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On Monday, March 13, Kim says her son left school before noon. He ended up at a friend's home along the 6100 block of Algon Avenue in Philadelphia's Summerdale section.

Just after 12 p.m., police were called to the scene for reports of a person with a gun.

When officers arrived, they found Rivera with multiple gunshot wounds. He died a short time later at the hospital.

"Whatever he did, he didn't deserve that," Kim said.

Police are investigating if the shooting had any connection to an earlier fight at Samuel Fels High School, which is less than a mile away.

However, Rivera was not a student there.

"I was always scared. I actually thought it was drugs I would lose him to. You have this fear when you have a son like you're going to lose them to the street. But yeah, it was the guns," said Kim.

The City of Philadelphia is offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

All you have to do is call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. All calls will remain anonymous.

"I ask any man, woman, or child to share any memory or information they may have about Neko's case," Kim said.