Christian A. Jenkins, a 20-year-old Black/African American male from Chester, Pennsylvania, was killed on October 9, 2016, in a shooting on the 2100 block of West 3rd Street. Police said Jenkins had been shot in the street, but in the moments after he was wounded, he managed to run back inside his home seeking help. The scene that followed was described as quiet and sorrowful, with neighbors and loved ones gathering around the block as news of his death spread through the community.
People who knew Jenkins described him as respectful, kind, and not the kind of person they expected to become a victim of street violence. Neighbors said he gave haircuts to children who could not afford them, and one person who knew him said he “didn't do anything to nobody.” His death stunned those around him, not only because of how young he was, but because he was remembered as someone who stayed out of trouble and was loved by families in the neighborhood.
In the days after Jenkins was killed, a vigil was held for him in Chester. On October 12, 2016, another shooting occurred about a block away from that vigil, in the 200 block of Engle Street, where a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg. Initial reports in that separate shooting said the shooter was driving a black SUV. At that time, there was no word of arrests in either shooting. Available online reporting did not identify a suspect in Jenkins's killing, and no arrest, charge, trial, or conviction connected to his homicide was reported in the sources reviewed.
