A 17-year-old who was being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg has vanished from a North Philadelphia hospital, and police are now asking the public for help finding him. Asante Paige was last seen inside Temple University Hospital last Friday night, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.
Paige suffered a gunshot wound to his right lower leg before he was last spotted around 9:27 p.m. inside the hospital, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Police Department is now seeking public help locating the teen, who lives in Upper Roxborough.
Investigators have not shared how or why Paige was shot in the first place, leaving a central question about the case unanswered for now. Police have also made clear that he is not wanted in connection with any crime himself — he is simply considered missing after walking away, or being taken, from the hospital where he was being treated.
Description Released As Search Continues
Police describe Paige as 5 feet 11 inches tall and around 145 pounds, with a thin build, black hair, and brown eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3253.
Temple University Hospital sits in the heart of North Philadelphia, a neighborhood that has seen its share of gun violence this year. In a separate incident reported by 6abc, another 17-year-old was shot in the leg near the Temple University campus on a Wednesday night, with police saying the shooting happened around 8 p.m. near North Sydenham Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. It is not established whether that case has any connection to Paige's disappearance.
Details From a Nearby Shooting
In that other incident, witnesses told police that a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask fired a single shot at the victim before fleeing. Investigators said the victim in that case was being held on a prior arrest warrant, and officers were working to identify the shooter using nearby surveillance footage, per the same outlet.
For now, the focus in Paige's case remains squarely on finding him. Police have released his description and urged anyone with information to come forward, but as of the latest update, his location since leaving the hospital last Friday night remains unknown.
