Wort Ellsworth Whipple III, a 14-year-old Black male, was tragically shot and killed on a SEPTA platform in West Philadelphia on the afternoon of Saturday, May 13, 2023. The incident began with a fistfight on a Market-Frankford Line train between Whipple and the man who would become his assailant. The altercation spilled onto the platform at the 52nd Street station, where the suspect drew a handgun and fired at least two shots, striking Whipple.
At approximately 2:08 p.m., Philadelphia
Police officers responded to the scene and found Whipple with multiple gunshot wounds to his body. They rushed him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators later discovered that the suspect had attempted to burn his clothing in an effort to destroy evidence.
In the days following the shooting, SEPTA officials released surveillance photos of the suspected gunman to the public, hoping for assistance in identifying him. Despite these efforts, no arrests have been made in the case, and no weapon has been recovered. The Philadelphia Police Department continues to investigate the homicide and has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
The death of young Wort Whipple III added to a painful family history marked by violence. His father, also named Wort Whipple, was shot and killed approximately five years prior. The boy's grandfather had also been a victim of violence in Philadelphia years earlier. Friends and family remember the 14-year-old as a funny and goofy, yet protective, young man who attended Sankofa Freedom Academy.
