Two masked gunmen shot and killed a 15-year-old boy Thursday afternoon in the hallway of an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Knox Place, Southeast. Police identified the boy on Friday morning as Gerald Watson of Southeast.

The gunmen reportedly saw Watson outside the complex and chased him into the stairwell of the building, D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a press conference Thursday night. They shot him “multiple times” in a hallway, and then fled the scene on foot.

At 3:39 p.m., police officers responded to the scene for the sound of gunshots. The commander of the 7th district heard the shots from his office a block away, Newsham said at the conference. He was one of the first responders on the scene. “Unfortunately we couldn’t do anything to save [Watson’s] life,” Newsham said. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

Newsham said the motive for the shooting is unclear, but it appears that the gunmen were specifically targeting Watson. “It doesn’t make any sense. Who’s going to shoot a kid?” Newsham said. “This is the holiday season, it’s supposed to be a celebratory time, and we’re out here with a young kid, and a family that’s devastated by losing their son, their nephew, and their grandson.”

Newsham said that the boy’s mother and grandmother live in the area.

The police have surveillance footage that Newsham said they are looking over before they release more information about the suspects. The Metropolitan Police Department offers a $25,000 reward for anyone who offers a tip that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person responsible for homicide.