Crime & Safety

Suspect ID'ed In Temple Student's Shooting Death

Police said Latif Williams, 17, is wanted in connection with the killing of Delaware County resident and Temple student Samuel Collington.

Latif Williams, 17, is wanted in connection with Samuel Collington's killing.
Latif Williams, 17, is wanted in connection with Samuel Collington's killing. (Philadelphia Police)

PHILADELPHIA — Police in Philadelphia have identified a suspect in the killing of 21-year-old Temple student and Delaware County native Samuel Collington.

Latif Williams, 17, is wanted in connection with Collington's death.

Collington, 21, of Prospect Park, was shot and killed at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday outside his off-campus Temple University apartment on the 2200 block of North Park Avenue.

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Williams is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has a medium complexion and brown eyes.

Anyone who has information on Williams's whereabouts is asked to contact Philadelphia Police at 215-685-3334, 215-686-8477, or 911.

Find out what's happening in Philadelphiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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."

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