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In the wake of a slew of shootings over material items, a 16-year-old teen was shot and killed because he refused to give up his winter parka jacket in New York’s Lower East Side.

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In a sad and puzzling twist to the murder, Ward posted a prophetic and eerie status on his Facebook wall.

According to the Daily Mail, Ward posted this to his Facebook just hours before his death:

“I’m Dead.”

At about 9:00 p.m. on Friday, Ward was confronted by a group of people who asked him to hand over his Marmot parka, a trendy coat that can retail for up to $600. When he refused, a gunman fatally shot him in the chest. According to police, the shooting happened in front of the DeWitt Reformed Church at 280 Rivington St., just a short walk from the home he shared with his mother and his little brother.

His friend, Nicholas Ramos, 18, was getting a slice of pizza across the street when he heard the shots. He waited a minute before running out to help his friend. Before dying, it is reported that Ward stumbled into a Tearedan convenience store where he told workers he’d been assaulted by a group of people after his jacket. 

Friends and family are speaking out about the teenager’s death, describing Ward as a caring older brother.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said friend Will Claudio, 16. “We’ve been close friends since elementary school at PS 140 and he was always a good student, never in trouble, just a real good kid.”

“He was a baseball player, we played together with the Hawks and the Orioles, Boys Club teams, until we got too old and then he played basketball and he was a great basketball player in the community leagues, but he was also really humble.”

Police have released a description of the gunman, saying that he was 5-foot-6, 120 to 140 pounds, and was wearing a dark wool hat and ski mask. They are reviewing security surveillance cameras to find the identity of the shooter. This marks the first homicide in Manhattan in 2013.

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We’re keeping the Ward family in our thoughts and prayers.

SOURCE: Daily Mail