Kaiden Phillips Obituary, Death; – The 15-year-old who was fatally shot on Saturday night was a basketball player at Career High School, as reported by the police.
The teenager has been identified as Kaiden Phillips, according to New Haven police Chief Karl Jacobson.
“By all accounts, he was a good kid,” Jacobson remarked.
Jacobson stated that Phillips was a student at Hill Regional Career High School and participated in basketball.
“It appears that a dispute between Kaiden and another individual escalated to the point where a gun was drawn,” he explained.
Jacobson indicated that authorities suspect this incident may be linked to a series of altercations that have occurred following high school football games, which the police are currently investigating.
Phillips was shot and killed in the vicinity of Bassett Street and Dixwell Avenue at approximately 7:55 p.m. on Saturday, as per a spokesperson for the police department. Jacobson mentioned that police believe Phillips was shot on the premises of Lincoln-Bassett Community School, which was closed at that time, before fleeing the scene and was later found unresponsive.
“It’s tragic,” remarked Mayor Justin Elicker on Monday. “A young kid who had his whole life ahead of him.”
Elicker noted that the city convened an emergency meeting involving several agencies, including police and youth service providers, on Monday morning to explore strategies to prevent retaliation.
“Overall, our shootings have decreased in the city,” Elicker stated. “However, incidents like this feel like a significant setback.”
Jacobson reported that Phillips is the fourth homicide victim this year under the age of 45 and the second 15-year-old to be killed in the city this year, following Aaron Robinson on April 15.
