Samyr Walker was born on Christmas Day. Some kids might have been upset to have their birthday overshadowed by a holiday, but even he forgot about his own birthday sometimes.
He would wake up extra excited to gather his gifts. “As a kid he’d wake up like, ‘It’s Christmas!’, then he’d have to be reminded that it’s also his birthday.” said his mother, Kameelah. “He always got extra gifts. Even though people would forget his birthday, him too after a few years.”
He was supposed to have been born on New Year’s Day, but he came a week early, Kameelah says. Like he just couldn’t wait to come out. “He was always just a happy kid; he was funny and vastly outgoing.”
As a kid Samyr was very performative. He interacted with everyone and loved his family including his grandfather; Samyr was his favorite. Born in Philadelphia, Samyr went to the Universal Insititute Charter School and his comedic energy brought back some trouble at home on a recurring basis. “We used to laugh together at everything, his cousins and blood relatives were like siblings,” Kameelah said.
“From first grade to tenth grade he was always getting in trouble. He was very close with his teachers so they would call me, and I would have to come up to the school again and again. But he wasn’t a bad kid.”
In fact, Samyr had a sparking interest in providing service for others. Going out his way would soon be embedded in his nature. “He loved lawn work and landscaping. As a kid he would mow people’s lawns and shovel their snow,” Kameelah says.
Though sitting in class wasn’t of interest, being on the field was. Samyr started playing football when he was 12 years old and was great at it. “He loved football,” Kameelah says. “He was very good at it.”
Samyr loved music; that was something he couldn’t go any day without. His favorite artist was NBA YoungBoy, playing his music almost every day. Kameelah even gained some interest in his music. “I started listening to NBA YoungBoy too, actually. Samyr would play his music all day, he loved rap.” she said.
Aside from his love of rap and music, Samyr had dreams of joining the military. His grandfather and older brother are veterans, and he wanted to be just like them. “They were his favorite people,” Kameelah says, “His brother went on to be a fireman.”
Sadly, he never got the chance. Samyr was murdered on Sep 4, 2022, when he was just 19, at 46th and Lancaster. Police identified a suspect but had yet to arrest them as of publication of this story, said his mom.
Though Samyr enjoyed telling jokes and “went with the flow” after moving to Delaware, he worried about not being able to graduate from Brandywine High School. But from the support of his community of family and teachers, he was able to accomplish this goal. “He felt like he wasn’t going to accomplish this, but his teachers and I were on him, and he held on to us. He graduated and went to prom. That was the proudest moment in his life.” Kameelah said.
Samyr was a one-of-a-kind person. His desire to help others can’t be replicated, said his cousin, Caleb Jones. “We were like best friends, and he was always very helpful,” he says. “If 10 people asked him to help he would do what he could to help those 10 people. You couldn’t replicate his personality.”
His family honors him by remembering his kind heart and modest nature. “I want people to know that Samyr was somebody,” Kameelah says. “He loved his family, and he was a good person.”
If you have any information about this victim, please contact us at [email protected]
Date: 2022-09-04
Location: 46th and Lancaster
