Cathy Clinton fought back the tears as she remembered Ryan Gillyard, a 15-year-old high school football player who collapsed and died during a training workout over the weekend.
“It’s an absolute nightmare,” Clinton said. “I was hoping I would get a phone call saying it was a joke. But it wasn’t.”
A viewing for Gillyard, Upper Darby teen, who attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, was held Friday at St. Joseph’s.
A second viewing will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. until 10:45 at Stretch Funeral Home in Havertown with a funeral mass following after a St. Denis Church next door. Gillyard will be buried immediately after at the parish's cemetery across the street.
Clinton told NBC10 her son was a close friend of Ryan’s and they attended school together when they were younger.
“He’s 15,” Clinton said. “And my son and him are friends and I don’t know how to explain this to him. I don’t know how to tell a 14-year-old that he’s never gonna see him again.”
Gillyard was at spring conditioning training at the St. Joseph’s Prep practice field on Cecil B. Moore Avenue at 11th Street in Philadelphia Saturday morning when he suddenly collapsed. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he later died.
Gillyard’s final tweet, which was posted early Saturday morning, was retweeted over 600 times as friends and family shared their condolences.
“The community as a whole was just shocked,” said Jeffrey Terrell, a neighbor and family friend. “It’s unfathomable.”
Loved ones described Gillyard as a renaissance man with a big smile and an even bigger heart.
“He did everything,” Clinton said. “He played football. He played basketball. He liked music. He did our school play. Nobody will ever forget him. Ever.”
The Cardinal Foley relay team plan on wearing armbands in Gillyard’s honor when they compete in the Penn Relays on Tuesday.
Investigators have not yet determined a cause of death. The Medical Examiner’s Office told NBC10 a result likely won’t be released for another six to eight weeks.
Thousands of athletes descend upon Philadelphia each year for the Penn Relays, and this season, a 94-year-old South Philly native is taking to the track.
George “Scotty” Scott, who now lives at the retirement community Ann’s Choice in Warminster, is gearing up to run along world-renowned athletes in the annual race Saturday.
Scott first took on running when he was 88 years old and has competed in dozens of races, but his love for staying active developed at a young age.
“Basketball will always be my favorite sport,” Scott said. “There was always a hoop outside of my home wherever I lived and I always played and that’s where my love of fitness came from I suppose. Then it grew into running which I began only a few years ago.”
The senior athlete has earned more than a dozen awards over his six years of running and almost matched a world record set by a 90-year-old approximately 10 years ago.
And he plans on competing every chance he gets.
“As long as I can exercise and compete I’ll do it,” Scott said “I just do the best I can.”
The great-grandfather of seven attributes his good health to his active lifestyle and his dedication to keeping in shape.
“Between the basketball and dancing I keep young. I want to prove that I can do anything and I tell everyone to stay active so you can stay fit.”
Police arrested three juveniles in connection to the caught-on-camera beating of a homeless man at a Philadelphia gas station.
The three suspects are charged as juveniles with attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault and other related offenses.
A total of six people in all were arrested in connection to the brutal beating -- involving a hammer, a piece of wood and Mace -- outside the Sunoco gas station at 5th Street and Somerville Avenue in the city's Olney section back on April 7. Kaisha Duggins, 24, Shareena Joachim, 24, and Aleathea Gillard, 34, are charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possessing instruments of crime and related offenses.
Witnesses reported that during the attack one of the women screamed about marks on the face of a child, who could be seen in the end of surveillance footage that captured the attack, indicating the 51-year-old victim had hit the boy.
Investigators have not confirmed an earlier altercation with the child prompted the violent attack, which left the victim hospitalized with severe head injuries.
The surveillance video shows at least three others jump from a minivan and rush Robert Barnes as he stood outside the Sunoco station. Next they punched and stomped the man, even striking him with a hammer.
Once the attackers finished their violent assault, one of the women grabbed a boy from the minivan and brought him over to the injured man.
"One of the women was screaming look at my child's face," said Brittney Horsey, a witness. "He did this to my child's face."
At that point, the group got back in the minivan and sped off.
Barnes remains hospitalized at Albert Einstein Medical Center in critical condition with severe head injuries. His sister, Diane Barnes, asked that everyone prays for her brother.
With the three juveniles, police say all of the people involved in the attack are now in custody.
Friends and family are mourning a local high school football star who was shot and killed overnight in Camden.
Camden County Police responded to a report of a shooting at Green and Mechanic streets in Camden around 12:25 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived they found 18-year-old Jameer Bullard of Camden lying on the sidewalk on the 1200 block of Mechanic Street with a gunshot wound.
Bullard was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he died from his injuries at 1:11 a.m.
Bullard was a star running back and linebacker for the Woodrow Wilson High School football team, according to NJ.com. He also received a recruitment offer from Temple University, according to ESPN.com.
No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.
If you have any information on the shooting, please call Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Anthony Roccia at (856) 365-3122 or Camden County Police Detective Mark Lee at (856) 757-7420.
More than 100 parents are searching for a new school for their kids after a Montgomery County daycare and childhood school suddenly closed its doors.
On Friday signs were posted outside the Goddard School in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania announcing the school was closed and the locks were changed.
A water main leak will cause street closures in Center City Sunday.
Crews with the Philadelphia Water Department will work in the intersection of 17th and Locust streets Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to repair a leak on a water main.
During the repair work, Locust Street from 18th through 16th streets and 17th Street from Walnut to Spruce streets will be closed.
Officials say customers in the area will be without water service once they identify the location of the leak and start repairs.
Four people are in the hospital after a shooting in Trenton.
Police responded to reports of shots fired on Wood Street around 6 p.m. Saturday.
When they arrived they found three victims. One person had been shot in the torso, another was shot in the leg and a third victim was grazed by a bullet. They were all taken to the Capital Health System-Fuld Campus Hospital. The man who was shot in the torso is undergoing emergency surgery. The other two victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
During the investigation, fourth person walked into the emergency room claiming he had also been shot, police said. Police have not yet revealed his condition however.
No arrests have been made and police have not released information on any suspects. They continue to investigate.
Rejoice pretzel lovers! Pretzel shops in our area are offering free pretzels Sunday in celebration of National Pretzel Day.
Philly Pretzel Factory, Auntie Anne’s, PretzelMaker and Wetzel’s Pretzels are all offering free pretzels to customers at their locations Sunday. Philly Pretzel Factory also announced the first 100 guests will win one free pretzel for every day in May.
Click below to find locations near where you live.
