ALBANY – The death of an 11th-grader earlier this month is being investigated as a homicide, the seventh in the city this year.
Police Chief Eric Hawkins confirmed the May 8 shooting of Kobe Armstrong, 17, was being treated as a suspicious death, despite an inconclusive autopsy report.
The department had previously referred to its inquiry as a death investigation.
Hawkins said Armstrong suffered two gunshot wounds, including one to his head. But a medical examiner’s autopsy could not definitively say whether the shot that killed Armstrong was self-inflicted.
“It’s inconclusive right now as to the cause of death,” he said. “At this point we’re going to investigate it as a homicide.”
Police were called to 378 Livingston Ave. the afternoon of May 8 for a reported shooting. Hawkins said they received multiple calls for a suicide at that location. During the investigation, officers began to question what happened, the police chief said.
Hawkins acknowledged it was improbable that Armstrong had shot himself twice but added the department had seen previous suicides where that had occurred.
Armstrong’s family could not be reached for comment. His grandmother told the Times Union last week she needed his mother’s permission before speaking about her grandson.
Armstrong attended the Tony Clemente Center for Education. He was set to graduate next June. The school released a brief statement the day after Armstrong’s death saying it was providing support services to students and staff. A district spokesman declined to comment further on Thursday, citing the open investigation.
Hawkins said six of the city’s homicide investigations this year have involved people who lived together or were connected through a domestic relationship.
The department’s investigation into…
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