Aaron Devine Jr. was a hugger. At what would be his final birthday cookout last year, he had his arms wrapped around one of his beloved aunts, Cecelia White, nearly the entire time.
“I was serving people and putting food on plates and he kept coming up to hug me,” she said. Looking back, she feels it was God’s way of saying Aaron’s time was near.
On July 9, 2019, Aaron and his girlfriend were at a convenience store at 10th and Brown when an argument broke out between Aaron and several men, according to media reports. The men pursued their car for several blocks, and fired numerous shots while stopped at a red light at 6th and Callowhill. Aaron, who was in the passenger seat, died a short time later. Police have not made any arrests.
Aaron’s death came at a time when he had a lot of hope for his future. Born May 30, 1994 to parents Kimberly White and Aaron Devine Sr., Aaron was lovingly raised by Cecelia, who is a minister, and another aunt, Tina Devine.
Aaron and his Aunt Cecelia
“He always had somebody,” Cecelia said. “Anything he needed, I was there or his other aunt was there. He never lacked for anything. He was surrounded by love, and the same love that people gave him, he gave back. Yes, he did.”
When Aaron was 14, he was placed at Glen Mills School, a center for troubled youth. He was on the right path for a while after he came home, but he got caught up with the wrong crowd and at age 17, he began serving a seven-year prison sentence.
Cecelia was his most frequent visitor, and he made the most of their time together.
“Every time I walked into the visiting room he would just hug me for 20 to 30 minutes and the guards would say, ‘You gotta let her go.’ He was just a hugger. I loved it,” Cecelia said.
Shortly before his release in 2018, he wrote Cecelia a letter saying he was excited about coming home, and he apologized for never achieving his dream of playing basketball with the NBA. Family was Aaron’s priority, and he was looking forward to seeing all of his relatives, including his female cousins, who meant the world to him.
After he was released, his Aunt Tina said she and the rest of the family were becoming reacquainted with the gentleman he had become.
“When he went away he was a juvenile, and he had transformed into a man,” she said. “There were a lot of things we were looking forward to.”
Aaron began managing his brother’s rap career, and he also fathered two daughters. (Another child was born after his death.) He was active in their lives, going to doctor’s appointments with them and trying to get partial custody.
Aaron was the second nephew Tina lost to gun violence. Aaron’s cousin, Quadir Devine, a star basketball player with Ben Franklin High School, was the last murder victim of 2013. He had visited Aaron in prison before he was killed. His murder also remains unsolved.
Cecelia wonders if Aaron’s case has been deemed less of a priority to police because he had been incarcerated, but he was cherished by his family, and she’s concerned that whoever killed Aaron is continuing to hurt others.
“I’m holding onto my faith,” she said. “It’s a pain I’ve never felt. Losing my nephew is a whole different hole in your heart.”
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Aaron’s murder. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Date: 2019-07-09
Location: 600 Callowhill St, Philadelphia, PA
