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Penn State Student Shot And Killed In Philadelphia

Update Wed., April 3, 6:18 p.m.: Police have arrested Tyquan Atkinson shortly after identifying him as the suspect in Flacco’s murder, according to ABC6.

Update Wed., April 3, 5:25 p.m.: Police have identified the suspect they are looking for in their investigation of Flacco’s murder, according to CBS3 Philly.

Police are looking for 19-year-old Tyquan “Fats” Atkinson, who they believe was the individual who approached Flacco and his friends and shot him in the chest when dared on Saturday night.

Atkinson is described as a 6-foot-tall black male, and weighing around 160 pounds. He lives in the city’s Grays Ferry neighborhood and is said to frequent the area of 10th Street and Oregon Avenue and 12th and Ritner Streets.

“I would strongly urge Mr. Atkinson to call an attorney and turn himself in,” Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said.

Update Tues., April 2: Police provided an update to the media Tuesday on their investigation of Flacco’s murder, according to ABC7.

Two groups of friends allegedly got into an argument at FDR Park where Flacco and his friends were tailgating, and they “may have been part of another group that was trying to break up the fights.”

ABC7 reports that a woman supposedly called her boyfriend in response to the fight, and police believe he was the person who shot and killed Flacco. The man reportedly shot first into the air and second to the side of Flacco’s friends, then left the area before returning later and shooting Flacco in the chest.

Police continue to seek information and can be reached at 215-686-3334. The City of Philadelphia institutes a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in every homicide case, but the Fraternal order of Police, Local Firefighters Union IAFF 22, Philadelphia defense attorney Joseph Kelly, and Bill and Phoebe Henney have all added to that for a total $36,500 reward in the case.

Original story: A Penn State student was shot and killed in Philadelphia Saturday night.

Penn State student Nicholas Flacco had returned to Philadelphia to celebrate his 20th birthday over the weekend and attended the Phillies game with friends on Saturday afternoon. After the game, he was tailgating in FDR Park with friends before getting into an argument with a man who pulled a gun and shot him in the chest around 10 p.m., according to a report from CBS Philly.

Flacco was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was reported dead at 10:17 p.m.

Police radio transmissions obtained by 6ABC detailed, “There was a large group in the park here when this happened. They Dispersed on Pattison toward Broad Street. A bunch of juveniles. A bystander out here apparently said there was a green car involved, older model sedan like a Honda. It went eastbound on Patterson after it left the park.”

No arrests have been made, but the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of a suspect.

Flacco was the son of Chief Inspector Christopher Flacco, a high-ranking police officer in Philadelphia. Flacco was a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts.

“Random acts of violence such as this are unfathomable and very troubling,” Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said via email. “This is tragic news and we offer our deepest condolences to Nicholas’ family and friends during this difficult time.”

Our thoughts are also with Nicholas’ family and friends as they grieve.


This post has been updated to include a statement from the university.

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About the Author

Anthony Colucci

Anthony Colucci was once Onward State’s managing editor and preferred walk-on honors student who majored in psychology and public relations. Despite being from the make-believe land of Central Jersey, he was never a Rutgers fan. If you ever want to know how good Saquon Barkley's ball security is, ask Anthony what happened when he tried to force a fumble at the Mifflin Streak. If you want to hear the story or are bored and want to share prequel memes, follow @_anthonycolucci on Twitter or email him at [email protected]. All other requests and complaints should be directed to Onward State media contact emeritus Steve Connelly.

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