An 18-year-old shot and killed by a federal agent in Aliquippa on Thursday evening was running from officers when he fired a weapon at them, state police said.
Kendrick Curtis Jr., 18, was shot just after 6:20 p.m. after he fired a gun at law enforcement officers who were in the neighborhood on Waugaman Street in the Linmar Terrace apartment complex, according to a statement from state police Friday. Police did not specify what they were doing in the area.
Curtis was then flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh’s North Side, where he died early Friday.
No officers were injured during the incident, state police said. Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI and the Beaver County Municipal Police Task Force were conducting an operation in the area before the shooting.
Curtis was a student at Aliquippa High School, according to a letter from the school district.
“As a district, we are grieving together,” Aliquippa School District Superintendent Phillip Woods wrote in a letter to parents Friday. “The loss of a classmate, student and friend is difficult for everyone — especially our children.
“I am asking our staff, parents and community members to rally around our students during this time of sorrow. Please help them as they work through their fears, concerns and emotions. Encourage them to lean on one another, to seek support when needed and to continue pressing forward in faith, strength and unity.”
In a statement, state police confirmed ATF and FBI agents working in a joint investigation in Aliquippa “were involved in a shooting incident.” Troopers are leading the investigation with assistance from ATF.
On Friday morning, the apartment complex near the shooting scene was quiet. A single pink heart-shaped balloon was tied at the bottom of a stairway leading down the hill to Waugaman Street. At the bottom of the steps, mourners left flowers and an orchid plant in honor of Curtis.
A group of friends and family gathered at the steps later Friday morning. They declined to comment.
Mayor Dwan Walker told TribLive news partner WTAE “this is a fluid and active investigation.” He called for clarity and calmness.
“We don’t know the whole situation and what caused this or what happened,” he said. “It wasn’t an officer of Aliquippa involved shooting. It was an ATF involved shooting. An agent from ATF was involved in this, but it wasn’t local.”
