Crime Fighters: Who killed Joshua Butts?

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two friends, including a child pulled up to a Philadelphia school for a game of basketball that turned deadly.

The child's father, 28-year-old Joshua Butts, was mortally wounded but still was able to get help for his son.

Now his family is asking for help catching their loved one's killer.

"Joshua (Butts) was a firecracker and a sweetheart in one. He was very protective of his family," said sister Erica Butts.

On Wednesday April 14, 2021, Butts was with his son and a friend in their car at 55th Street and Baltimore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia around 7:15 p.m.

They were going to a school yard to play some basketball.

"As soon as they pulled up in front of the school, shots rang out," she said.

Butt's son, 6-year-old Kodi, was hit first.

Erica said her brother tried to shield Kodi and was hit multiple times.

She said the friend got out and ran in the opposite direction.

Butts tried to keep driving.

"He drove around a corner, crashed into a car and jumped out and said, 'Me and my son have been shot, take us to the hospital.'"

When they got to the hospital, Erica said her brother's only thoughts were of his son.

"When he gets to the hospital, he's the one that told Kodi, 'Give them all your information so they can notify the family,'" she said."One of the places that Josh was pierced was in his heart, so that was just pretty much adrenaline rushing because they said that Josh should have actually died at the scene."

Butts later died at the hospital.

The City of Philadelphia is offering up to a $20,000 reward for 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.

Kodi was hospitalized for a week and is said to be doing well.

"It's because of Kodi that we are able to keep it going because he always says, 'My dad said I had to take care of the family."