Attorney: East Germantown teen suspect didn’t open fire at Fourth of July event

An East Germantown teen who allegedly shot two other teens in Center City not far from the city’s Fourth of July “Welcome America” festivities will appear in Family Court on Aug. 15. Wednesday’s preliminary hearing for Nafis Scott was rescheduled.

At around 9:17 p.m. on July 4, Scott, 16, allegedly shot a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old, each in the leg, following a dispute between two groups with prior neighborhood beef, according to police.

The 19-year-old was shot at 16th and John F. Kennedy Boulevard; the 17-year-old at 17th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Police said officers stopped Scott near the Parkway and ordered him to drop his weapon, a .22 caliber handgun. Scott responded by pointing his firearm at police, prompting one officer to shoot at the teen, grazing him in the chest.

Attorney denies client was the shooter

“It’s an extremely serious incident,” said Assistant District Attorney Namratha Ravikant, who is prosecuting the case. “Anybody could have been hurt. We’re all very lucky that no one was fatally wounded, but that could have been the case whenever someone brings a loaded gun to a crowd of people.”

Scott’s attorney, Daniel Bartoli with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, maintained that his client was not the shooter in the Independence Day incident.

Scott will await the August court appearance while in custody at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center on State Road. He is facing charges of aggravated assault and other gun-related offenses.