Diyaan Smith, 16, a gamer known for giving money to the homeless

After having four daughters, Katrina Burrell was overjoyed when she learned in 2004 that her fifth child would be a son. 

He was born Memorial Day weekend, and she named him Diyaan. He was a quiet, laid-back kid who laughed a lot. He attended William Rowen School followed by the Academy for the Middle Years Northwest Middle School, and Mastery Charter High School, Lenfest Campus.

When it came to online school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Diyaan “hated it, but he did it,” Katrina said. “He wasn’t an honor student, but I stayed on his back and he did the best he could, and he passed.”

Diyaan was a gamer who was hooked on PlayStation, and he also enjoyed basketball—he was a member of the Philly Triple Threat youth basketball program for a while when he was younger. 

He wanted to go into construction after high school, but in the short-term, he earned money by pumping gas near his home in West Oak Lane. 

On the morning of Dec. 31, 2020, Katrina told Diyaan she wanted to see him at midnight. He was lying on the couch watching one of his shows—”Lucifer” was his current favorite—and he assured her that he’d be home.

But he wouldn’t get to keep that promise. At about 1 p.m., Diyaan was headed to a neighborhood store when someone opened fire in the 1900 block of 68th Street, a short distance from his home. Diyaan was fatally shot. He was 16 years old.

Diyaan was the last person to be murdered in Philadelphia in 2020, a year in which homicides increased by 40% compared to 2019. Police have not made any arrests in connection with Diyaan’s murder.

“He was number four-hundred and ninety-nine, and for a lot of people in Philadelphia, it’s a memorable number,” Katrina said. “But it’s a horrible feeling for a mother to know her child is a number. These kids murdered him because of where he’s from.”

In addition to four older sisters, Diyaan also had a younger brother. They’d spend hours playing video games and having Nerf gun wars around the house, and their connection was deep. After Katrina’s marriage ended, Diyaan felt like he had to be both a big brother and a father figure to his youngest sibling.

His brother was home when Diyaan was shot. He heard the gunfire and saw him being carried by emergency workers.

“Not only did they take the life of someone who could have contributed to the world, they shattered the lives of whole families,” Katrina said. “None of us have ever experienced a murder in our family, and we are devastated. My son was loved.” 

She added: “We’re doing the best we can, but I don’t think our grief will ever be over or ever go away. This is an experience that is like no other.”

Diyaan enjoyed traveling, and he wanted to do more of it in the future. He had visited Puerto Rico last year and he also spent time with his father, Bernard Smith, in Atlanta. Katrina and her other children went to Niagara Falls at the end of July, a trip Diyaan would have loved.

Katrina wants her son to be remembered “as a great kid. He was a really, really, great guy. He’s never raised his voice or acted disrespectful. He was cool and funny, and he was genuine. He cared about people.”

In particular, Diyaan showed kindness to people who are homeless, and urged Katrina to help them out. It’s a habit she has continued.

“Now I don’t pass by a homeless person without giving them money,” Katrina said, “and that’s because of Diyaan.”

Diyaan is laid to rest at Chelten Hills Cemetery.

Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.

A reward of up to $20,000 is available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons responsible for Diyaan’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS or the Philadelphia Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.