Reading 17-year-old died of multiple gunshot wounds, Berks County coroner says
Feb. 25—An autopsy of a 17-year-old boy who was killed Tuesday night in north Reading showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds, Acting Berks County Coroner Jonn M. Hollenbach said Thursday.
Reading police said they would not release the name of the victim because he was a juvenile, and Hollenbach said he defers to police in publicly identifying homicide victims.
It was the city's fourth homicide this year and second involving a teen victim. On Feb. 5, a 16-year-old girl was fatally shot and her 17-year-old sister wounded in a shooting in the Oakbrook Community. A 14-year-old boy was arrested on first-degree murder charges.
Six of the city's homicide victims since Sept. 8 have been age 19 or younger. While there's been an overall decrease in serious criminal offenses, there's been an uptick in shootings, particularly involving juvenile or young-adult perpetrators, Police Chief Richard Tornielli said recently.
Investigators said they had no new information on the slaying of the 17-year-old.
According to the previous account:
Police were dispatched about 8 p.m. for a shooting and found the youth dead of apparent gunshot wounds in the 400 block of North 10th.
There was a trail of blood from the 1000 block of Buttonwood Street, where the incident began.
The youth was pronounced dead at 11:04 p.m. Tuesday by Berks County Deputy Coroner Todd Kegerise.
Tornielli said a team of criminal investigators worked through the night and into Wednesday morning, when a search warrant was served on a Buttonwood Street home.
Anyone with information should call Reading police at 610-655-6246.
Tips can also be made via Crime Alert Berks County's anonymous tip line, 877-373-9913. Tips can also be sent via text, using the keyword "alert berks," to 847411. Crime Alert will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.
