On the evening of November 22, 2017, the day before Thanksgiving, tragedy struck in a Philadelphia neighborhood. Hugh Arthur Certaine, Jr., a 27-year-old Black male, was found lying in the street at the intersection of 68th and Greenway Avenue. He had been shot multiple times in a violent outburst that also left two other men, aged 26 and 37, wounded.
First responders rushed all three victims to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, but despite the efforts of medical staff, Hugh Certaine succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead that evening.
In the wake of the shooting, the Philadelphia Police Department launched an investigation into the triple shooting. However, the case proved to be a difficult one, and in the immediate aftermath, no suspects were identified, and no arrests were made. The investigation has remained open in the years that have followed, with detectives continuing to seek answers and justice for Hugh Certaine and his family. As of early 2026, the case is still considered an unsolved homicide. Law enforcement officials have offered a reward of up to $20,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this senseless act of violence.
Hugh, known to his loved ones as 'Hughie,' was a father to a young son and was remembered by his family for his love of joking and his ability to make people smile. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a career in welding and had been taking classes at the Philadelphia Technician Training Institute. His family described him as a devoted father and a beloved son and brother, whose life was cut tragically short. The community continues to hope that new information will come to light and that those responsible for Hugh Certaine's death will be brought to justice.
