Father shot dead while waiting for bus to work in Hunting Park; daughter pleas for help

ByHeather Grubola and Rick Williams WPVI logo
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Father shot dead while waiting for bus to work in Philadelphia
Father shot dead while waiting for bus to work in Hunting Park; daughter pleas for help

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A daughter still grieving the loss of her father six years later is hoping you can help solve his case.

LaToya Scott lost her father, Barry Parks, to gun violence.

"I just feel like my dad's story is just like something that has been swept under the rug like he's just become another cold case, and it isn't fair because my dad was a great person," said Scott.

On Tuesday, August 28, 2018, the 55-year-old was heading to work around 2:30 a.m. He was about to catch a bus at 6th Street and Erie Avenue in Philadelphia's Hunting Park section to go to his job at a recycling plant. As the bus approached, the family says an armed man tried to rob Parks.

"I found out like my dad struggled with the guy," said Scott.

Parks was then shot in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His belongings were left behind.

"His backpack was on the ground. What he had on his person was a bus token, which I kept to this day, and his keys and his ID," said Scott.

Police have released surveillance video of the suspect. He's described as a thin black male in his 20s, standing at least 6 feet tall. He had a "bushy" type hairstyle and was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and dark sweatpants with vertical white stripes down the upper half.

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.

"Do the right thing. You know that what this person did was wrong. That's all you have to do is speak up. Don't let people put fear in your heart," said Scott.