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Homicide Investigation Underway After 15-Year-Old Found Dead In Wilkinsburg

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WILKINSBURG (KDKA) – Allegheny County Police are investigating the death of a 15-year-old male in Wilkinsburg.

A 911 call came in at 7:18 p.m. Monday for a man bleeding on the ground on South Dell Way near Penn Avenue.

However, the victim was not a man - he was a 15-year-old boy.

wilkinsburg body found
(Photo Credit: Brenda Waters/KDKA)

Yellow police tape still marked the spot Tuesday morning where the victim was found when Wilkinsburg Police and paramedics arrived on the scene.

"They found a 15-year-old [male] suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene," Allegheny County Police Lt. Andrew Schurman said.

A person walking a dog found the victim. That person told police they heard something that sounded like a firecracker minutes before finding the body.

KDKA's Brenda Waters Reports:

 

The alleyway is an overgrown narrow roadway and is generally not traveled by vehicles.

"The young man didn't have any identification on him so we had to start by trying to find out who he was and contacting his family," Schurman said.

The victim has been identified as Tyrelle Bowyer. He was a student in the Woodland Hills School District. Sources say Bowyer would have been starting his sophomore year at the high school this fall.

tyrelle-bowyer
(Source: Facebook)

He's now at least the 17th student in that district to be killed by gun violence in the last four years.

At this point, investigators don't know if the victim was left there or killed there and they need help from the public piecing this together.

The incident has left neighbors shaken up.

Adrianna McCaskill, who lives in the apartment building near the spot where Bowyer's body was found, said she wasn't home last night when he was found.

"It hurts, even though I don't know who he is, like I said before, he's too young," McCaskill said. "It didn't matter what he did, he's too young, he could have made it better."

Another woman, who didn't want to be identified, stopped by the crime scene Tuesday afternoon. She said she knew the victim and his family.

"I'm praying for the family," she said, "He was a good kid. He loved music, good music, rap music, gospel music. He was very involved in his church."

Allegheny County Police is asking anyone with information about this case to call their tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).

Callers can remain anonymous. You can also reach county police through its social media sites.

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