PA mother loses third son to gun violence

The youngest son of Steelton mother Cheryl Hughes, 20-year-old Azar Hughes, was shot and killed around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, July 5, after a concert outside the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, authorities said, Daily Voice previously reported.

Azar was the same age as his brother Malik Mundy when he was shot on Mother’s Day 2015, according to his obituary and Cheryl’s social media.

“Harrisburg police were in the 1100 block of North 3rd Street when they heard multiple gunshots,” a police news release said. Officers arrived at HMAC to find Azar and “provide him with emergency medical aid, but he later died from his injuries,” police said.

He was later identified by the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office. Azar’s official cause and manner of death will be released after the autopsy on Tuesday, July 9, county officials say.

Ten years ago, Azar lost his other older brother, 23-year-old Charles L. Tate III. He “died instantly from a single gunshot wound to the front, almost directly to the heart,” Hetrick said. PennLive reported two days after the fatal shooting on September 13, 2024.

All three of Cheryl’s sons were shot in Harrisburg. Charles, whom she called Nooderz, was shot near the intersection of South 14th and Kittatinny Street, according to PennLive. Malik was shot in the 31st row of Hall Manor, according to another PennLive Article.

Cheryl wrote the following on the GoFundMe She started:

“This is my third son that I have lost to gun violence here on the streets. I was trying to get my children out of this evil city. I was woken up from my sleep and had a nightmare. Now I have to bury my little boy Azar.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Harrisburg Police at 717-558-6900 or Click here to submit a tip online.

Click here to donate to Cheryl’s GoFundMe.

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