Video suggests two teenagers arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting on a crowded Philadelphia street heard gunfire, pulled out their own guns and fired randomly, prosecutors said.
Three people were killed and 12 others were wounded after a fistfight ended in gunfire on the city’s South Street around 11:30 p.m., officials said.
Two people had previously been arrested in connection with the shooting, officials said.
Two other people, Qaadir Dukes-Hill and Nahjee Whittington were arrested Thursday in Virginia and will be charged with two of the killings, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said.
Based on video, it does not appear that Dukes-Hill or Whittington knew the group involved in the fistfight, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said at a news conference.
“This, to me, seems to be that Mr. Whittington and Mr. Dukes-Hill, in response to gunshots that were happening down the street just took out their gun and randomly fired,” she said.
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In the fistfight, prosecutors said that Gregory Jackson, 34, shot first at another man who returned fire and killed Jackson.
The man who shot back was wounded. He is considered a victim and will not be charged, Pescatore said.
Quran Garner, 18, shot in the direction of the altercation, officials said. It was unclear if he hit anyone. He was shot in the hand by a police officer and is criminally charged.
Based on video, it does not appear that Dukes-Hill or Whittington knew the group involved in the fight, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said at a news conference.
“This, to me, seems to be that Mr. Whittington and Mr. Dukes-Hill, in response to gunshots that were happening down the street just took out their gun and randomly fired,” she said.
Authorities believe there are no outstanding suspects, the district attorney’s office said. There is still an active and ongoing investigation.
Almost all the people killed and wounded were innocent bystanders, officials said.
Eleven of the injured were shot, police have said, and a 12th was hurt by broken glass.
Alexis Quinn, a home health aide, was killed by a bullet allegedly fired by Dukes-Hill, the district attorney’s office said.
Kristopher Minners, a residential adviser at Girard College celebrating his 22nd birthday, was killed by a shot fired by Whittington, according to prosecutors.
Dukes-Hill and Whittington will be charged with murder, conspiracy and other counts, the district attorney’s office said.
“Sadly, there is nothing new about people hear shots fired, and they reach for whatever weapon they have,” District Attorney Lawrence Krasner said.
Krasner said the violence Saturday “started out as an unfair fistfight,” with two people attacking one, and “it went from fists to bullets very, very quickly.”
In the fistfight, prosecutors said that Gregory Jackson, 34, shot first at another man who returned fire and killed Jackson.
The man who shot back, who was wounded, is considered a victim and will not be charged, Pescatore said.
Quran Garner, 18, shot in the direction of the altercation, officials said. It was unclear if he hit anyone. He was shot in the hand by a police officer and is criminally charged.
A U.S. Marshals Service task force arrested Dukes-Hill and Whittington at an apartment complex in Norfolk, Virginia, around 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said.
Dukes-Hill, 18, and Whittington were being held Thursday in Virginia pending extradition to Philadelphia, officials said. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
There were conflicting reports about Whittington’s current age, and whether he has turned 18 since Saturday’s shooting.
Krasner said that Whittington will be charged in adult court initially because he is accused in a homicide. Decisions will later be made as to whether it should remain in adult court or be moved to juvenile court, he said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
