A police source last night confirmed a report that the youth's mother and stepfather are also Philadelphia police officers.

Earlier in the day, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said the officer saw two young men shoot a third male in a leg near Broad and Chew Streets shortly after 3 p.m.

The two fled in a car, then abandoned it near Broad and Duncannon Streets.

Police said the off-duty officer fired several times at one of the pair when the youth appeared to reach into his waistband. Police were still searching yesterday for the second.

The 15-year-old was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center. Police said the man whom two youths shot was in critical condition at the hospital with a gunshot wound to one leg. Hospital officials refused to release his name or elaborate on his condition.

Three blocks of North Broad Street were shut down for several hours during the investigation.

Vanore said that two weapons were recovered where the 15-year-old was shot, and that the off-duty officer was not injured. Vanore did not identify anyone involved yesterday, including the off-duty officer.

Neighbor Michelle Delgado said she and her family heard more than a dozen shots fired near Broad and Duncannon and went outside to find a man lying on the sidewalk across the street from where they live in the 5200 block of North Broad.

"It's a shame," she said. "He was shot so many times."

Delgado's mother, Hawwa Shurelds, 55, said, "His cousin came up and was very upset, saying, 'Why'd they have to kill him?' "

Yesterday's fatal shooting was the second by police in the new year. A 59-year-old man was killed last Tuesday in Kensington after lunging with butcher knives at officers, police said.