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Mother of football player shot, killed outside school sues School District of Philadelphia

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Published  August 27, 2024 4:14pm EDT
Philadelphia
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Mother of teen killed in Roxborough attack sues school district, PIAA

Nicolas Elizalde's mother, Meredith, has sued the School District of Philadelphia nearly two years after her son was shot and killed following a football scrimmage near Roxborough High School.

PHILADELPHIA - The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was shot and killed outside of Roxborough High School has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia. 

Meredith Elizalde filed the lawsuit after her son, Nicolas, was gunned down as he and several other teens were ambushed by five gunmen as they left an afternoon football scrimmage outside the school. 

Meredith, a former teacher in Philadelphia, had been at the scrimmage and heard the shots. She later revealed in an interview with FOX 29 that she had run to render aid to her son and called 911 before lying down next to him.  

Nicolas Elizalde’s mother speaks out, calls on son’s killers to turn themselves in

The mother of the 14-year-old boy killed in the shooting outside Roxborough High School recalled the moment she felt her son pass away in her arms. She also shared a message for those responsible for his death.

"I felt him pass. I felt him leave," she said.

Four other teens were also hurt in the hail of gunfire and five suspects have been arrested and charged in the case. 

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Investigators have said Elizalde was not the intended target of the shooting. 

Nearly two years after the Sept. 2022 shooting, Meredith Elizalde has filed a lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia alleging that they "organized large-scale athletic events open to the public without adequate security, despite knowing of the risk of gun violence these events attract."

The lawsuit cites previous incidents of violence near the school, violence during after-school activities near other school grounds in Philadelphia, and ‘an alarming increase in gun violence in and around high school athletic events.’ 

The School District of Philadelphia said in a statement Tuesday that they do not comment on pending investigations.  

In addition to the lawsuit against the school district, Elizalde has also filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) in state court.