Walter Sharp - Norristown Honor Student Dies

Police Testing Weapon Suspected To Have Been Used
In The Shooting.

POSTED: 11:36 am EDT May 10, 2005
UPDATED: 11:36 am EDT May 13, 2005

NORRISTOWN, Pa.

Walter Sharp, the 15-year-old honor student who was shot after
walking his mother to the bus late Monday night, died Thursday
afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

Police said they believe Sharp was caught in the crossfire of a
drug war between dealers from Philadelphia and Norristown.

Police said that two men are in custody on a weapons investigation
and police are waiting for test results on a gun to see if the two
men were in possession of the gun that was used to shoot Sharp.

Norristown police said that Sharp was shot in the stomach on
Marshall Street Monday night.

"The guys were having a shootout on the block and he was hit.
I don't know if he was hit deliberately, but he was hit," Sharp's
mother, Tonya Shivers, said earlier this week.

Norristown police said that they are following several leads.
Friends of the victim told NBC 10 News that Sharp played
freshman football at Norristown High School and he played
basketball for the Police Athletic League. They said that he
never hurt anyone.

Sharp's mother encouraged the person who shot her son to
turn himself in.

"Why would you hurt my son like that? You're a coward. Be
a man and put your hands up," Tonya Shivers said.

Anyone with information on the Monday night shooting is
urged to contact the Norristown police.

Copyright 2005 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved.
www.nbc10.com
_____
May the Lord be a comfort, strength and light to Walter's
family during this tragic time, and may he help in the
efforts to bring to light who did this terrible thing and
that they be brought to justice. What a terrible and
senseless loss.