Teen arrested for a series of deadly summer shootings, Philly city leaders announce

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Officials in Philadelphia say a teenager has been arrested in connection to two fatal shootings that occurred over the summer, resulting in the deaths of two people.

During a press conference Thursday at City Hall, Philadelphia police and representatives from the U.S. District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of a 17-year-old accused in both incidents. U.S. Marshals arrested the suspect Wednesday.

In June, five teens were shot and Isya Stanley, 17, was killed after several pop-up gatherings took place in Fairmount Park on the 2400 block of Greenland Drive near the Woodford Mansion. On July 4, Maurice White, 19, was killed and eight others were injured during another “pop-up event” in Kingsessing.

The 17-year-old suspect faces multiple charges, including murder and carrying a firearm without a license. WHYY does not publish the names of minors accused of crimes.

Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said “social media was a big part” of the meetups. Vanore said another suspect they’re still looking for, in addition to the 17-year-old, were shooting at each other during the incident in Fairmount Park.

“At least one of the two of them had a gun with we believe is a switch on it because you could hear the gunfire being fired and it was being fired in rapid fire,” Vanore said. “Everybody else that’s involved in this is an innocent victim who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel asked young people in the city to not pick up weapons and “find other alternatives.”

“We ask parents to engage their young people, but at the same time, we made a commitment, and in the charge the mayor gave me to make this a safer city, that we would not stop,” Bethel said. “We would continue because they were valued. Everyone in our community is valued.”

As of Nov. 13, 225 homicides have occurred in Philadelphia, a 46% decrease from the previous year.