Tyree Bates
Age 14
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Laughing and playing in North Philadelphia
His 15th birthday was the next month. He was into basketball. A neighbor said he could’ve gone pro. His younger brother called him “funny, goofy and talented.” He said his older brother taught him right from wrong.
He was “laughing and playing around” on the sidewalk in North Philadelphia on July 16, 2018, when it happened.
Tyree Bates, 14, and three others were the targets of crossfire from two gunmen on opposite sides of the street. Tyree was shot in the forehead and later died in a hospital from injuries. Police suspected the deaths resulted from a neighborhood dispute.
