East Mt. Airy shootout survivor faces 3 homicide charges, more cases pending

The suspect wounded in a shootout with police in East Mt. Airy last week has been charged with murder and robbery.

Justin Mackie, 19, of Philadelphia, is charged with killing three separate individuals between July 9 and July 18.

He is also being charged with the robbery of a cab driver, according to a release from the District Attorney’s office.

The back story

According to police, officers from the Major Crime Unit and FBI agents were near the 200 block of East Montana St. near Musgrave St. to arrest two suspects wanted in connection to a recent homicide in North Philadelphia just after 1 p.m. on July 22.

The suspects reportedly tried to flee through the rear of a home on Musgrave Street, shooting at police in the attempt, police said.

Officials at the scene said that police returned fire multiple times, striking the two suspects, who were described as step-brothers.

Tevin Hammond, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:23 p.m. Mackie, reportedly shot five times, was taken by medics to Albert Einstein Medical Center.

No police were injured in the exchange.

Tallying the charges

Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford told NewsWorks shortly after the incident that officers and members of FBI violent-crimes task force went to the area looking for the pair in connection with a number of shootings and homicides.

“They made it very clear from the beginning, based on information we were given … that they were not going to go down easily, that they were armed and ready to go,” he said.

While investigators are still working to compile a final number of cases allegedly linked to the pair, Stanford said that number will reach “at least a dozen jobs, homicides and shootings. They were a dynamic duo.”

According to a police spokeswoman, the three homicides with which Mackie is charged occurred in Brewerytown (1:21 a.m., July 9; victim Carlos Barnes, 51), North Philadelphia (12 a.m., July 15; victim Tyrone Hayes, 20) and West Philadelphia (3:27 p.m., July 18; victim Otis Wright, 20)

The robbery case came to public light the next day when 53-year-old cab driver William Carney III recalled a June 4 encounter in which he was reportedly robbed and shot by Mackie and Hammond.

“I thought they were regular customers,” Carney told NBC10. “At the end of the ride, they pulled the pistol out on me. It seemed like they really wanted to kill me.”

Mackie’s rap sheet

Mackie, who reported previous southwest Germantown addresses in the 5100 block of Greene St. and the unit block of East Coulter St., was previously held for court on kidnapping, robbery, theft and motor-vehicle charges in 2011.

Court records offer no indication that Mackie was tried or sentenced on these counts.

Currently, Mackie is currently being held without bail at the Philadelphia Industrial Detention Center. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14.