Witness describes Harrisburg shooting: ‘I watched the fire come out of the gun’

Update: A teenager who was shot has died, and a sex offender has been charged with homicide, Harrisburg police say.

Hours following a shooting Saturday afternoon in Harrisburg, a group of residents stood on the corner of 18th and Forster streets recounting what they had witnessed.

“I hear, ’help, help,’ after the first shot, then no more help,” said Avon Burton, who worked with police officers to identify the shooting suspect.

Harrisburg Police Department is investigating. Dauphin County dispatch confirmed that calls for shots fired came in around 12:55 p.m. from the 1800 block of Forster Street.

A man is in police custody.

“I watched the fire come out of the gun,” Burton said. “He was standing over top of him, he shot him, and then took off running. I called the city, the police, and they were already on their way. The man went running down the alley and the police arrested him.”

Authorities have not released any information about the shooter or the person who was shot. Residents said they think the man who was shot is a teenager.

“I watched that boy, lying on the grass naked, get shot,” Burton said.

Police officers didn’t use a stretcher to place him in the ambulance, witnesses said. Several officers picked him up and rushed him into the ambulance.

“I just feel like there’s always so much going on in our community,” Burton said. “I really feel that that could be avoided. I think that the whole thing could have been avoided. And, I pray that he’s alive. I watched that boy’s body take those bullets at close range."

Kevin Maxson, founder of Voices for the Voiceless, said he’s had enough. Current elected leaders aren’t doing enough to protect Harrisburg’s children, he said.

“We’ve had this talk,” Maxson said. “I’ve sat down with Mayor Papenfuse. I’ve had this talk with [police] Commissioner Carter. Why aren’t y’all doing nothing? If they start caring and protecting us from situations like this, our community would have the feeling that they really cared about our wellbeing and become better citizens in this community.”

Mayor Eric Papensfuse said he wanted to make it clear that Harrisburg police officers did not do the shooting. He said had no additional comments.

“Facebook rumors don’t help the situation,” he said.

Burton said she jumped in to help because someone once did the same thing for her son.

“As a mom, that tears me up,” she said. “I have a son who was shot two times and no one ever got picked up for the shooting. I am a mother and I put myself in his mother’s place today. Somebody did that for my son. They got him help and he’s still here. This one here – he hollered for help and nobody was around – the guy was on top of him. I feel for his mom.”

Authorities said that the person who was shot remains in critical condition.

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