Young Man Leaves Philadelphia To Escape Violent Crime — Gets Shot When He Returns For A Funeral

A young man moved from Philadelphia to Las Vegas in an effort to get away from the rampant violent crime in his city — but he was shot and killed on Saturday after returning to Philadelphia for a friend’s funeral.

Diniar Camp, 26, was shot and killed just before 12:30 a.m. at 19th and Berks streets. He had returned to Philadelphia to honor the life of his late friend Joelill Foy. Foy, also 26, was a founding member of the music group Brotherly Love and had been shot and killed outside his home on the 1800 block of Sigel Street just two weeks earlier.

“Stop the violence!” Camp’s mother, Kathi Camp, told reporters. Clearly distraught, she also claimed that her son had been intentionally targeted, although she did not say why she believed that. “They targeted him and it’s not fair because he would have loved you. He would have gave his heart to you.”

“My son was not a street person. He was loved by very many people,” Kathi Camp continued. “He was into music and dedicated his life to helping people, and talking to people and making them smile.”

#Philadelphia

WATCH: A grieving mother pleads for peace on the streets after her son was gunned down at 19th and Berks.

She tells reporters that she believes her son was targeted.

He was in town for a a friends funeral who was also shot and killed in July. pic.twitter.com/DFcbOzBDDo

— PhillyCrimeUpdate (@PhillyCrimeUpd) August 10, 2022

Camp moved Las Vegas in part to pursue a career in music, his aunt Geraldine Camp told local ABC News affiliate WPVI. “He went away to pursue his music career. He only came here to bury his friend and now he’s leaving on a toe tag,” she said. “I wish he never would have ever even came here.”

“He went away to get his singing career. You know he got married. He wants kids. Y’all took all of that away from us. Y’all hit my family hard when you did this,” Geraldine Camp added.

Camp left behind a wife, Arryanna (22), who told reporters that she was still in shock. “What happened to him is just really sad. I just can’t even imagine this happening to anybody, but for it to happen to me, I’m only 22, he was only 26.”

According to local law enforcement, a violent repeat offender named Marcus Whitehead is being sought in connection with Camp’s murder.

MARCUS WHITEHEAD, a violent repeat offender is now wanted for this murder https://t.co/tGo4GB4tTV

— PhillyCrimeUpdate (@PhillyCrimeUpd) August 10, 2022

Several members of Camp’s family told reporters that they planned to leave Philadelphia following the tragic loss.