An alleged attempted robbery left a student and a juvenile shot early yesterday.
Faint blood stains scattered on the southeast corner of 11th and York streets and a shattered glass door on North 12th Street were two of the forthright remnants of an early morning shootout, yesterday, Sept. 2.
As the late morning hours approached, police and investigators continued to piece together evidence found throughout the 2300 block of North 12th Street, where, just hours before, a conflict between a Temple student and a 15-year-old juvenile landed the two in the hospital, both suffering gunshot wounds.
The shootout took place at around 2 a.m. when the juvenile, with friends, allegedly attempted to rob sophomore Robert Eells, 21, in front of his house, at 2310 N. 12th Street. When Eells did not oblige, reports state, the juvenile opened fire on the student.
Eells, armed with a gun of his own, then reportedly shot the juvenile in defense. The student, from Chalfont, Pa., has a permit to carry the weapon, according to reports.
While the case is still under investigation, police will be charging the 15-year-old boy in the shooting.
Two TU Advisories were issued in relation to the incident, informing students about the shooting and warning them to avoid the area. However, the advisories did not mention the shooting of the juvenile suspect.
Ray Betzner, assistant vice president of university communications, said the advisory did not include information about the juvenile being shot because police were still investigating the crime and university officials did not know if the two incidents were directly related.
Eells was listed in stable condition yesterday. Betzner said Eells’ family had joined him at the hospital for his recovery.
Although some neighbors said they didn’t hear the shooting occur, others said the shots that rang out awoke them up from their sleep.
“It was pretty loud, it scared the crap out of me,” said Alberto Clark, a junior secondary education major who lives on the 2200 block of North 12th Street. Clark said he had just recently moved into his house.
Clark’s housemate, Sora Lee, a senior international business major, said she didn’t hear the shots but recommended that students be smart about being outside late at night.
Lee said she knew moving into the neighborhood would mean taking extra precautions when traveling outside after dark.
“Do your best to watch yourself,” Lee said.
Angelo Fichera can be reached at afichera@temple.edu.
As I communicated by letter to President Hart this past Spring, when a visiting PSU student was gunned down for his motorcycle not far from this most recent shooting, the University should and must expand security patrols a few blocks further from campus than currently. This is as more students are coaxed into cheaper rentals off campus, due to limited availability of closer housing, and state budget cuts impacting student budgets. Eventually, in a couple of years, there will by more on campus housing, especially along Broad Street. Yet, for now, more patrols are needed before someone else is shot and/or killed. Some extra money for this security can and must be found. Students must not be sitting ducks for remorseless, violent punks!
Whats a bunch of 15 yr olds doing out at 2am on a school night committing armed robbery? The Police can’t be everywhere. Robert Eells has the only answer.