Noah Scurry, 17-year-old student athlete killed in a shooting outside his North Philly home, remembered as ‘exceptional’

Police have recovered what they believe is a getaway car involved in the fatal shooting of Noah Scurry, a 17-year-old student athlete gunned down outside his North Philadelphia home as he was getting ready to go to school on Tuesday morning.

Investigators found the white Jeep Cherokee on Wednesday morning near Summerdale and Godfrey Avenues, less than two miles from where Scurry was killed, on the 5000 block of Rorer Street in Feltonville, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. The SUV appeared to have been damaged in a crash, he said, and investigators were searching for additional surveillance footage of the vehicle and the shooting.

Police did not release a motive for the shooting and continued to search for Scurry’s killer. No weapon was recovered, but investigators were seeking a search warrant for the Jeep, Vanore said.

Scurry had grabbed his backpack and was getting into his mother’s car in the driveway of their Rorer Street home when he was shot multiple times in a volley of at least 20 bullets, Vanore said.

It is unclear how many people fired at Scurry, Vanore said, but surveillance footage shows there were several people inside the Jeep.

Scurry was rushed to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead minutes later, succumbing to gunshot wounds in his chest and abdomen, police said.

In a GoFundMe set up to help Scurry’s family defray funeral costs, Scurry’s cousin Breanna McGlynn described the teen as having a sharp mind and an infectious smile.

“Noah, only 17 years old had such a caring and loving heart,” McGlynn wrote. “He would do anything for his family, but most of all his siblings.”

Tributes to Scurry poured in on social media from friends heartbroken by his sudden death.

“Speechless! I love you,” wrote one friend, who posted photos with Scurry.

At Samuel Fels High School, where Scurry took AP classes, had the highest SAT score in the school, and was a nimble point guard on the basketball team, students and staff were in mourning. The high school on Langdon Street held counseling and quiet space in the auditorium Wednesday, school officials said on Instagram.

“The greatest gift of support we have is each other,” the school said. “Be kind to each other, today and always.”

In a statement released hours after Scurry’s death, school principal Melissa Rasper offered condolences to Scurry’s friends and family and spoke of the loss that reverberated throughout the Fels community.

“Ours is a tight-knit community, and I know that this is difficult news to receive even when it doesn’t occur on school property,” Rasper wrote.

Scurry was an “exceptional student,” said Monique Braxton, spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia.

Much of Scurry’s social media included highlight reels of his games, where he would cross over opponents with ease, power through layups, and sink three-pointers effortlessly.

“He’s the kind of student everyone wants,” Braxton said.

In a statement, the school district condemned the gun violence that continues to pervade Philadelphia and offered support to Scurry’s friends and family.

Three juveniles have been killed this year, according to data from the city controller’s office.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department’s homicide unit at 215-686-3334 or the tipline at 215-686-8477. A reward of $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.