15-year-old getting water from car is killed by stray bullets, Pennsylvania cops say

A 15-year-old boy has died after he was shot in the head while grabbing a case of water from his father’s car, according to Philadelphia police and media reports.

Police say the shooting occurred around 9:10 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, in a residential area of the city’s northeast side. Police found the 15-year-old boy, identified as Sean Toomey, suffering from “gunshot wounds to the head,” according to a news release.

“I heard the two pops and I thought it was firecrackers,” Sean’s father, John Toomey, told WPVI. “But it only takes a second to grab some water and get in the house and he wasn’t coming back in. So I got curious, I put my sweatshirt on, and I went outside and I saw him lying on my neighbor’s lawn.”

Sean was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where he died Friday afternoon.

No one has been arrested for the shooting, but police said it happened during an attempted carjacking nearby, WCAU reported. The suspects in the attempted carjacking fled the scene.

Police say shots were fired during the attempted car theft, according to WPVI. The suspects are believed to be connected to at least two robberies in the area, The Philadelphia Inquirer said.

The teenager’s father said on Facebook he was “truly devastated” by the death of his son.

“Nothing will be the same ever ever again,” John Toomey said.

Sean was a student at Mercy Career & Technical High School, where he was a member of the Class of 2024.

This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 12:24 PM with the headline "15-year-old getting water from car is killed by stray bullets, Pennsylvania cops say."