Suspect In Samuel Collington Killing Turns Self In: Reports

PHILADELPHIA — The 17-year-old suspected of killing a 21-year-old Temple University student from Delaware County has reportedly turned himself in to police.

Latif Williams, 17, turned himself over to police Wednesday, according to Fox 29.

Williams was accompanied by a lawyer, Action News reports.

Williams is accused of shooting Samuel Collington, 21, of Prospect Park, Sunday at about 1:30 p.m. outside Collington's off-campus apartment on the 2200 block of North Park Avenue.

Temple's Executive Director of Public Safety Charlie Leone said Collington was set to graduate in the spring with a focus on political science and had interned as a Democracy Fellow with the city.

"This is a true tragedy in every sense of the word. As a father, this truly breaks my heart and is incomprehensible," he said. "Gun violence continues to affect local communities, and especially young lives, across our city and our nation. We fully understand concerns about individual safety, especially at a time when Philadelphia, like so many other U.S. cities, has experienced a sharp increase in violent crime over the past year."

Collington's family issued a statement Monday.

"Sam Collington – our son, brother, nephew, and cousin - was and is our hero, and this senseless act crushes us. He was kind and accomplished – president of his class, an eagle scout, National Honor Society, band, an intern at city hall, among many other things. Sam spent all of his free time raising awareness for the issues that meant the most to him. In his honor, we will do everything to make sure that there is #JusticeForSam," the family wrote. "We are planning a vigil this week so that his friends and members of his communities can mourn, and we are working to offer a reward to help authorities find his killer. We will surely let you know through our family spokesperson our plans so you can help us get the message out and we get justice for Sam."

Williams was previously charged in connection with an armed carjacking earlier this year, but a key witness did not appear in court which led the case to be withdrawn, a District Attorney's office spokesperson told Action News.