Teen found dead of gunshot wound outside Philadelphia high school

On September 23, 2024, a 16-year-old boy named William Honesty was found dead from gunshot wounds outside Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia. Police received a call just before 11:45 p. m. after a passerby discovered the victim on the school grounds, where he had been shot three times in the chest. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene, and authorities have yet to make any arrests.

The Philadelphia Police Department is currently investigating the motive for the shooting and whether it is linked to another shooting incident that occurred nearby, where a 19-year-old man was shot in the thigh. Classes at the high school were not interrupted the following day, as Honesty was not a student there; he was enrolled in a local charter school. The investigation remains in its early stages, and police have not confirmed any connections between the two shootings. Community resources, including counseling and victim advocacy services, are being made available for those impacted by this tragic event. Members of the public with information are encouraged to contact the police’s Homicide Unit.