Ahmeen Palmer

Ahmeen Palmer, a 15-year-old male from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was a student at Williamsport Area High School who was remembered by loved ones as funny, intelligent, goofy, and athletic. His life was cut short on the evening of Saturday, March 2, 2024, in a shooting that authorities later described as gang-related.

That night, Ahmeen was at a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in Loyalsock Township to celebrate a friend's birthday. A separate group, which included the 13-year-old brother of the alleged shooter, was also at the restaurant for another birthday party. The gathering turned tragic due to an incident that had occurred two weeks earlier, when Ahmeen had slapped the 13-year-old boy. Around 6:15 p.m., the boy called his mother, Johneice Francin Legare, who soon arrived at the restaurant with her 17-year-old son, Ja’hsir Legare. An associate of the Legare family then challenged Ahmeen to a fight outside. In the parking lot, Johneice Legare allegedly told Ahmeen, "You’re going to fight my son one-on-one." Immediately after, a shooter fired five times.

Ahmeen was struck by multiple gunshots, including once in the back of the head and once in each leg. He was rushed to UPMC Williamsport, where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m. The shooter fled the scene in Johneice Legare's vehicle. Investigators recovered five 9mm casings from the parking lot, where two uninvolved cars had also been hit by bullets. The murder weapon has not been found. Surveillance audio from the Legare home captured a woman's frantic voice after the shooting, screaming, "I don’t care. Grab whatever you can. Let’s go."

Johneice Legare, 42, was arrested in connection with the killing. During a preliminary hearing in July 2024, new charges against her were revealed, including accomplice to first-degree murder, hindering the apprehension or prosecution of a suspect, and criminal use of a communication facility. Following the hearing, District Judge Gary Whiteman bound over all charges against her for trial.

Her 17-year-old son, Ja’hsir Legare, was identified as the suspected shooter. He remains at large, and authorities believe he may be in the Philadelphia area. In December 2024, another man, 19-year-old Ibn Hakiem Hunter, was extradited from New Jersey to face charges in the case. Authorities allege that Hunter acted as an accomplice by deliberately providing false and misleading statements to investigators in an attempt to conceal Ja’hsir Legare’s identity and whereabouts. Hunter was charged with hindering apprehension, riot, recklessly endangering another person, obstruction, simple assault, and disorderly conduct. He was committed to Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail, with his case proceeding as of December 2024.