Man charged in killing of 15-year-old Simon Gratz student Devin Weedon, whose death shattered his community

A Philadelphia man has been charged in the shooting death of Devin Weedon, the 15-year-old Simon Gratz student who was killed during an attempted robbery while on his way to school in 2023, police said.

Taamir Cole, 20, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the teen’s slaying, police said, but they do not believe he fired the fatal shot.

Cole was already in custody for an armed robbery that took place the day before Weedon was killed, and investigators used evidence from the robbery to connect him to the fatal shooting, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.

Weedon, a sophomore at Simon Gratz Mastery Charter, was killed the morning of March 28, 2023, as he walked his usual path down Hunting Park Avenue toward the school. He had just gotten off the Broad Street Line and was two blocks away from the school, where he played football and was a “rising star,” when four men approached from behind and jumped him, police said.

Weedon tried to defend himself, but one of his attackers took out a handgun and shot him once in the chest, police said. The teen was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he died shortly afterward.

More than a year after his son was killed, Gary Weedon said, he got a call from homicide detectives on Tuesday afternoon, saying one of his son’s killers had been arrested.

Investigators had kept him updated over the last 18 months, he said, and in November told him they had strong leads in the case. Tuesday’s news, he said, was a relief.

“I knew that with my prayers, the people praying with me, and the power of God, that I would get some peace,” he said. “I thank the detectives, I thank the police department for all they did and the hard hours of work they put in to make this happen. It wasn’t an easy task. But … I got a little piece of closure.”

At a news conference Wednesday, police released a surveillance image of the gunman on the day they believe he killed Weedon and asked the public for help in identifying him. In the image, the shooter is wearing a gray-and-black hoodie and a face mask and is holding a gun.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, who was the Philadelphia School District’s safety chief when Weedon was killed, said he vividly recalls the shooting.

“I was there the day Devin lost his life,” Bethel said. “I was standing there trying to figure out, here’s a kid on his way to school and would be taken away from us so senselessly. I watched his parents and just the anguish in their faces.”

Weedon’s death shattered the Simon Gratz community and left his large network of friends and family devastated. He was the youngest of 10 children — five boys and five girls — and loved giving hugs and saying, “I love you,” his family said. He played defense for the Gratz Bulldogs and often stayed after practice for extra reps. He hoped to one day open a gym for young athletes, his friends said.

In the immediate aftermath of his son’s death, Gary Weedon said, he was overcome with anger and wanted revenge. He was trying to learn through the whisper network of the streets who was responsible, so he could take matters into his own hands, he said.

“God Almighty didn’t let me see their face,” he said. “He made sure I didn’t see their face, or I would have gone to look for them.”

The anger became so consuming, he said, that he sought support from his church and eventually surrendered his life to God. He has prayed every day since — for his family, his son, and even the killers. And earlier this year, around the anniversary of his son’s death, he said, he forgave them.

“Like it says in the Bible, the only way to get the glory is to forgive. It took me a while to forgive, but I came to that point,” he said.

Still, he said, his family’s life will never be the same. Now, he said, he approaches a holiday without his youngest child, and, on the horizon, he prepares for the long and painful process of seeking justice through the courts.