17-year-old shot on bike on his way to get a hamburger, family says

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) — A teenager in Arizona is fighting for his life after being shot in the back while he was on his way to get a hamburger in Phoenix over the weekend.

Police said the shooting happened late Saturday night, and Jonathan Walke was on his e-bike when he was shot.

The teen’s mother, Brenda Mallory, said her son was on his way to grab a late-night meal when he was shot in the back.

As he works to recover in the ICU, his family is desperate for answers.

“He got on his little e-bike, put his hood on, and took off at like 10:30,” Mallory said.

Mallory said Walke was on his e-bike heading toward In-N-Out on Baseline Road.

“Eight minutes later, I got the phone call from him screaming that he had been shot,” Mallory said.

Police said someone inside a passing car fired a gun around 10:45 p.m. Walke collapsed after being shot in the back.

“By the time we got to the hospital, they were already carting him off into surgery because he had massive internal bleeding from the gunshot,” Mallory said.

Walke is well-known in his neighborhood and works shifts at The Original Burrito Co.

“It has been a nightmare. It’s the worst possible call that you can get. But thank God it’s not the worst outcome. I know it could have been a lot worse,” Mallory said.

Video from that night also shows a nearby car. Mallory said the gunshot can also be heard in the video.

“You can hear the gunshot plain as day and it sends chills up my spine. You know, that’s the shot that could have killed my kid,” she said.

For Mallory, the only thing that matters now is her son’s recovery.

“I want him to stay strong. I want him to be independent and still have his good heart. I would hate for him to turn into somebody negative over this incident,” Mallory said.

Police have not released any information about a suspect and said no one is in custody.

The family is hopeful that someone will be held accountable. They said a detective has been assigned to their case.

The family also has a GoFundMe to help pay for medical costs.