Ph.D. student remembered after deadly shooting in Savannah; teen accused in her shooting death

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - She came from Ghana to earn her Ph.D., and now, her name and story are coming into focus as police continue investigating the shooting that took her life.

A 37-year-old woman, Akpene Tetteh, tragically lost her life to gun violence, police say in early February.

Authorities said gunfire erupted around 2:30 p.m., and officers found Tetteh in the street, with life-threatening injuries.

A teenager was arrested the same day near the scene and booked into the Savannah Youth Detention Center.

Officials say the juvenile is being charged as an adult, and the case will now move forward in Superior Court.

When the incident first happened, police released only a brief report, confirming that a woman had been shot and killed and that a teen had been arrested.

Since then, more details have emerged about who Akpene Tetteh was.

According to the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health, Tetteh was a Ph.D. student in the Department of Health Policy and was nearing completion of her degree on an accelerated timeline.

University officials said they were shocked and saddened by her death and described her as an exceptional student and valued member of their community.

A native of Ghana, Tetteh was on track to complete her Ph.D. this summer in just three years, an achievement the university described as unprecedented.

At the time of her passing, she was working on her dissertation, which focused on improving health outcomes for adults with diabetes in the United States.

According to the university, her research aimed to address barriers to treatment and prevention along with diabetes care, including improving screening rates for diabetic retinopathy among high-risk groups and underserved communities.

Faculty members said her dedication set her apart. “She was often the first to arrive and the last to leave, reflecting a work ethic and determination that many of us witnessed every day,” said Dr. Bassam Dahman, a professor of health policy and Tetteh’s advisor.

He added she would be remembered for her commitment to improving diabetes care among underserved communities and her perseverance as a researcher.

You can read that full tribute from the University here: blogs.vcu.edu/sph/2026/03/04/akpene-tetteh/

According to VCU, Tetteh brought more than 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to her academic work, contributing to global projects.

On February 25th, she was posthumously awarded the Carter G. Woodson Award for Academic Excellence by VCU’s Department of African American Studies.

The award was presented by interim department chair Dr. Peter Cunningham and accepted by members of her family.

WTOC reached out to the Savannah Police Department to follow up and ask whether the shooting may have been an attempted robbery at the wrong home.

A spokesperson for the dept responded, “We do not provide that level of detail regarding an active, ongoing investigation. Thank you for your understanding.”

Tetteh is remembered by the university as a scholar, a daughter, and a dedicated researcher whose work and impact will continue to be felt.

As the case is set to be put before a grand jury in the near future, we will provide updates as we can pending an indictment.