ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Letters of love for 15-year-old Treshawn Tracy are visible under the pavilion of Stevens Park near the intersection of 6th and Tilghman streets in Allentown. The outpouring of support for the child follows his tragic death after he was gunned down over the weekend.
His alleged killer, 16-year-old Elijah Patterson, admitted to police that he committed the crime by shooting Tracy three times and killing him. Patterson is sitting inside a jail cell charged as an adult with homicide, carrying without a license, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Allentown police say they were called to Stevens Park Sunday around 2:30 p.m. They say that's where they found Tracy dead from multiple gunshot wounds. They also found three 9mm shell casings.
Investigators say video surveillance in the area helped them identify Patterson. They say he was seen hiding a handgun under his waistband and running from the scene. Police say they picked him up the following day on a porch of a home in the 400 block of West Tilghman Street.
"We want prevention," Jeani Garcia with Promise Neighborhoods Lehigh Valley said. "We need help to do that."
Garcia is in constant communication with Tracy's family. Her organization's mission is to end gun violence.
"We can have zero youth violence in this city," Garcia said. "We've got to start there."
Garcia along with other volunteers are now patrolling Stevens Park and cleaning it up. They're hoping more people will make a stand by getting involved with the efforts and say crime doesn't belong in their community.
"We need volunteers," Garcia said. "We need neighbors to come out and join us. We need the community. It takes a village."
Crisis management counselors will stay on hand at William Allen High School. That's where Tracy was a sophomore and junior varsity football player. The district said Patterson, however, was not a student in the district.
