What to Know
- Edwin Vargas is the suspect in a quadruple shooting where three men died and another deadly shooting earlier this month.
- Police said the Jan. 9 quadruple shooting in the Mayfair neighborhood appeared to be targeted.
- Vargas is also charged in a January 3 homicide.
An arrest was made in a quadruple shooting in Philadelphia's Mayfair neighborhood that left three people dead and a fourth person injured and police said the same man is the suspect in another deadly shooting in Philadelphia just days into 2023.
In addition to those shootings, the same suspect is accused of threatening and firing shots at an ex-girlfriend in two separate incidents.
Edwin Vargas, 24, was arrested for the triple homicide in Mayfair and was in custody, Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore announced on Twitter Tuesday.
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Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said that detective work and technology helped them zero in on Vargas, who they said is charged with three counts of murder and a charge of attempted murder for the Mayfair incident and one count of murder for a Jan. 3 killing in Hunting Park.
Vargas was arrested on Jan. 17, Ransom said. "Unfortunately that arrest came seven days too late, because prior to the that on the 9th, Edwin Vargas was part of a group that shot up the 6700 block of (Rowland) and three individuals ended up dying."
Police continued to search for two other people involved in the quadruple shooting and said that Vargas at least knew his victims.
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The quadruple shooting, which investigators said appeared to be a "targeted" attack, occurred at Rowland Avenue and Guilford Street in the Mayfair neighborhood just before 10 p.m. on Jan. 9.
Police said at least 50 shots were fired at the victims.
When officers arrived, they found two of the shooting victims dead on the scene, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Police later said that one of those men was 18, the other was 19. Ransom identified them Wednesday as Christopher Bautista and Miguel Delgado.
"It appears that our shooter or shooters were clearly targeting these two individuals since the ballistic evidence was so close to where the victims were found," Small said.
A third person -- a 24-year-old father of three who lived in the area identified as Miguel Santos -- was rushed by car to the hospital and died a short time later, Small said. The victim's sister told NBC10 he was shot less than a block away from his home.
A fourth man -- who is in his 20s -- ran into a nearby home and was later hospitalized in critical condition, Small said.
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Family members and witnesses said the young men were possibly together earlier in the day shopping at a mall, Small said. Shopping bags and even a pair of shoes could be seen on the ground near where the men were shot.
NBC10 obtained surveillance video of the shooting. It shows the four victims fleeing for their lives as shots are fired.
Vargas was also charged Tuesday with murder in one of Philadelphia's first homicides of 2023, according to court documents.
In that shooting, a 28-year-old man -- who Ransom identified as Caesar Santos -- was shot in the head while riding in a car along the 900 block of West Hunting Park Avenue on Jan. 3 shortly before 2 a.m. After the shooting, the driver crashed the car along the Roosevelt Boulevard.
In addition to the two deadly shootings, Vargas is accused of repeatedly threatening an ex-girlfriend. In December and January, Vargas visited a home in Philadelphia's Harrowgate section, where he fired shots in an attempt to terrorize and harm his ex-girlfriend, investigators said. He is being charged with terroristic threats, stalking and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure for his role in these incidents.
“While our office continues to investigate these shootings along with Philadelphia Police and other law enforcement partners, it seems clear that this is an individual who was banned from accessing firearms, but was able to do so anyway, and that a history of toxic behavior toward a former romantic partner may have motivated what we allege are his violent, criminal acts,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
Vargas was being held without bail for the Jan. 3 murder.
Vargas is being represented by the public defender's office, but court records don't list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Gun violence continues to cause trauma in Philadelphia in 2023.
“We cannot lose sight over the fact that it’s the actual perpetrators of these heinous acts that are making the final decision to pull the trigger,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
Entering Wednesday, at least 25 homicides have already been reported in Philadelphia so far this year, according to police data. That's down about 34% from the same time last year, which wound up being the second deadliest in the city on record.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
