Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the sentencing of Ameen Hurst, a 19-year-old man who escaped prison last year after being involved in four separate homicides.
On Nov. 1, 2024, Hurst entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to four counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, escape, conspiracy to escape and numerous firearm offenses.
Then, on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, Hurst was sentenced to 55 to 110 years in prison.
"Ameen Hurst, who posed a grave danger to the public, can no longer harm our community thanks to the excellent work of the U.S. Marshals Service, Philadelphia Police Department, and Assistant District Attorneys Anthony Voci and Brett Zakeosian," said DA Krasner. "It is hard to overstate the threat to public safety that this reckless and dangerous defendant posed to our city. But it's also important to note that this swift investigation, apprehension, and prosecution is a reminder to anyone else who thinks they can act like a one-person crime wave that you will be caught and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
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Ameen Hurst
Hurst involved in 4 Philly murders
On Dec. 24, 2020, Hurst -- who was 16 at the time and affiliated with the now defunct street gang Young Bag Chasers (YBC) -- killed 20-year-old Dyewou Scruggs as the victim was walking to catch the bus to work in Philadelphia's Overbrook neighborhood.
Less than a week later, Hurst shot at four young men in Overbrook, killing 24-year-old Naquan Smith and 17-year-old Tamir Brown. Two other victims were wounded in the shooting.
A week after the second attack in Overbrook, Hurst and his YBC associates learned that an alleged member of a rival group was set to be released from the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF). When they arrived, Hurst and his accomplices opened fire and shot and killed 20-year-old Rodney Hargrove. They then drove their car over his body. Hargrove was not their intended target, investigators said.
Hurst was arrested in April 2021 and charged with the four murders as well as a series of robberies in West Philadelphia.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Hurst escapes prison
On May 7, 2023, as he was awaiting trial for the murder charges, Hurst, along with Nasir Grant, escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center in Northeast Philadelphia, officials said.
Hurst and Grant cut a hole in a fence surrounding a recreation yard, according to investigators. Officials said the two men were missing for nearly 19 hours before prison employees noticed. Grant -- who was being held on drugs and weapons offenses before the escape -- was later recaptured on May 11, 2023, officials said.
Hurst, meanwhile, fled to New York City, rented a recording studio with his brother, and recorded music, before returning to Philadelphia. Then, on May 17, 2023, he was arrested by U.S. Marshals along the 6100 block of Washington Avenue in Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek neighborhood.
Investigators said Hurst was apprehended after being spotted with his two family members getting into a vehicle.
Police also arrested four people accused of helping Hurst and Grant escape.
"Even in our darkest hour, I still recognize that God is the foundation of our family," said Pastor John Hargrove III. "I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, and everyone who had a hand in brining the defendant to justice. This is not something that just affects our family. Gun violence affects our whole city, our state, and our country. We should all be praying for each other."
