Adrian Wills, a 22-year-old Black / African American male, was killed on March 11, 2014, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after violence broke out near the edge of La Salle University’s campus in the city’s Olney section. The shooting happened at about 3:54 p.m. on the 1900 block of West Olney Avenue, a busy area just off campus, where police said the incident appeared to have grown out of an argument in a rear alleyway.
Wills was shot in the left side of his torso. Emergency responders rushed him to Albert Einstein Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead after arrival. Investigators said he was not a La Salle University student and had no connection to the school, despite the shooting’s proximity to the campus. The location nevertheless drew immediate attention because it unfolded so close to university property and in daylight, with witnesses nearby.
Police focused early on a suspect who fled the scene on foot. The person investigators were seeking was described as being between 18 and 25 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a light complexion and scruffy beard. He was reportedly wearing a white thermal shirt, black pants, and a black skully, and was last seen running north along the 5600 block of North 20th Street. Several witnesses were taken to Homicide headquarters for questioning, and police also noted that cameras were in the immediate area, raising the possibility that surveillance footage might help identify the shooter.
Publicly available summaries of the case indicate that Wills’ homicide was later listed as closed by arrest, but the online sources located do not provide the name of the arrested suspect, the exact arrest date, the charges filed, or the outcome of any court proceedings. The available reporting centers on the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the suspect description, witness interviews, and the police effort to use surveillance and statements to track the person who ran from the alleyway after Wills was shot.
