Reggie Ellis

Reggie Ellis was a 44-year-old resident of Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. The life of the Black man was cut short during what proved to be a violent Fourth of July holiday weekend in the city.

In the early hours of Sunday, July 5, 2015, shortly before 1:00 AM, violence erupted on the 2000 block of East Stella Street. Reggie was shot multiple times, suffering wounds to his leg, neck, and chest. When Philadelphia Police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered him in a pool of his own blood. He was pronounced dead where he lay.

The shooting was one of several homicides that occurred over the holiday weekend, prompting a police investigation into the wave of violence. In Reggie's case, investigators learned that a witness saw a man fleeing the area immediately after the shots were fired. The individual was described as a Black man wearing a white t-shirt, who was seen running on Stella Street in the direction of Frankford Avenue.

As of July 2015, no arrests had been announced by the Philadelphia Police Department in connection with the killing. The murder of Reggie Ellis remains unsolved.