Teen slain in Hayward was recent graduate, aspiring Marine

A man walking on a Hayward street was shot to death early Tuesday near Art Avenue and Morningside Drive. A man walking on a Hayward street was shot to death early Tuesday near Art Avenue and Morningside Drive. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Teen slain in Hayward was recent graduate, aspiring Marine 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A teenager walking on a Hayward street with a female friend was shot to death early Tuesday when a confrontation broke out with several men they crossed paths with, police said.

The victim, 17-year-old Kionta Murphy, graduated two weeks ago from Mount Eden High School in Hayward, where he was on the wrestling and football teams. He had planned to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

“He was a really good kid,” said John Taylor, the president of the local school board. “This is a loss for all of us on Hayward.”

Kionta and his friend were walking near Art Avenue and Morningside Drive about 1 a.m. when they came across a group of men, police said.

After a brief exchange of words, one of the assailants pulled a gun and shot Kionta, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The shooter and the rest of his group reportedly fled in a silver SUV. No arrests have been made.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee