The suspect accused of killing 5 people and injuring several others faced a judge in court on Wednesday. The 40-year-old suspect was arraigned on murder charges; investigators say he targeted victims at random while walking down the street. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors has the latest from Kingsessing.
What to Know
- A 40-year-old accused of killing a man in a house and then gunning down four others “seemingly at random” on the streets of a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood before surrendering to police officers has been arraigned on murder and other charges.
- Philadelphia prosecutors said Kimbrady Carriker was arraigned Wednesday on five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public.
- A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old youth were also wounded by gunfire and another 2-year-old boy and a woman were hit by shattered glass in the July 3 attack.
The man suspected of firing "seemingly at random" on the streets of Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood Monday night, killing five people -- including a teen boy -- and injuring children, sat stoically, mostly with arms crossed, while being arraigned on murder charges Wednesday morning.
Kimbrady Carriker was arraigned on dozens of counts, including five counts of murder as well as charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons counts of possession without a license and carrying firearms in public during a brief hearing held via closed-circuit video in Philadelphia, according to court documents.
The 40-year-old suspect didn’t say anything except to answer "yes" or "no" to understanding the charges, reports NBC News.
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During the hearing, the names of the victims of the July 3rd mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia were read aloud. A preliminary hearing was set for later this month.
Carriker -- who is being represented by a public defender -- was held without bail. The public defender's office is not commenting on the case at this point.
The first court appearance for the suspected shooter came a day after Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, other city leaders and law enforcement officials, provided updates on the ongoing investigation
"We are all heartbroken for the families who lost loved ones," Kenney said.
Kenney said that officers acted quickly during the evening, as the shooter selected targets at random during the shooting spree.
"That scene must have been chaotic," the second-term Democrat said. "They were taking active fire, scooping people up, trying to get them to the hospital to save them and our officers deserve our debt of gratitude for their courage and their commitment to Philadelphians."
The shooting victims
A teenager was among the five people killed in the shooting that rocked the city's Kingsessing neighborhood.
According to police, Lashyd Merritt, 20, died after he was shot multiple times in the chest and arm; Dymir Stanton, 29, died after he was shot in the chest and back; Ralph Morales, 59, died after he was shot in the head, side, and buttocks; Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31, died after he was shot multiple times; and DaJuan Brown, 15, died after being shot in the shoulder, chest and back.
"I still can't believe that my brother is gone and I just don't understand why this happened," Wamah's sister, Josephine Wamah said at a press conference DA Krasner held Wednesday morning. "I'm just waiting for him to say 'hey, this is a prank.' It's hard to wake up from this."
In an interview with NBC10's Miguel Martinez-Valle, the mother of 15-year-old DaJuan Brown, Nashaya Thomas, said that her son was helping his 13-year-old friend who had been shot in the legs during the shooting. That's when Brown himself was struck and killed by gunfire.
"His friend was hurt and he was trying to get his friend help but the guy was still in the act of doing his thing," she said. "He was just trying to get his friend help not knowing that bullets don’t have no name.”
"He lost his life -- doing a selfless act -- and that's how he was while he was here," Thomas said.
Brown's loved ones called for justice for the slain boy. Thomas had a message for the the shooter.
"The cowardly act that you chose to do and you shot towards children -- innocent children that had nothing to do with anything -- and my son happened to be one of the people to get killed," Thomas said. "I hope you get what you deserve."
Police believe Wamah was the first shooting victim. He wasn't found until hours later however because he was shot while alone in his house at the time of the incident, police said.
A 2-year-old boy was also shot four times in the legs while a 13-year-old boy was shot twice in the legs. They were both listed in stable condition at a local hospital.
The 2-year-old's twin sibling and mother were hurt by flying glass, authorities said.
Shooting spree spread over several blocks
The shooting spree began Monday around 8:30 p.m. on 56th and Chester streets in the city's Kingsessing neighborhood, investigators said.
On Tuesday, NBC10 obtained surveillance video that police are reviewing as part of their investigation.
According to police, a shooter wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15-style assault weapon moved throughout an area spanning several blocks, shooting and killing several people. Responding officers then spotted the shooter -- now believed to be Carriker -- and apprehended the suspect without further incident.
Investigators said the suspected shooter's bulletproof vest had multiple magazines inside of it.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Tuesday that the suspect was also in possession of a scanner, an AR-style rifle and a handgun at the time of the arrest.
"What happened last night in our Kingsessing neighborhood was disgusting and horrifying," said Outlaw, emphasizing that the shooting was "seemingly at random."
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Witnesses told police the shooter was spotted near 56th Street near Chester and Springfield avenues shortly before the incident began, according to Ernest Ransom, commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit.
"The suspect then began shooting aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked," Ransom said.
The shooter fired at a car with a 33-year-old mother and her twin 2-year-old children inside. One of the toddlers was shot four times in the legs while the other toddler's eyes were injured by glass broken during the shooting, according to investigators. The mother was also injured by glass. All three victims were listed in stable condition, Ransom said.
Carriker was also charged with aggravated assault in relation to a 10-year-old who was also seated in the car, the DA's office said Wednesday.
The suspect apparently acted alone
Police Commissioner Outlaw could not provide many details as the investigation is ongoing, but she said Tuesday that police do not believe any of the victims knew their killer and they believe Carriker acted alone.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said that the suspected shooter would be charged with murder, aggravated assault and related charges.
"This is a person who is never going to leave jail before trial," Krasner said Tuesday. "And, it is my expectation, is never going to leave jail period."
With Carriker in custody, officials said they didn't believe there was any further threat to the community.
An unidentified man who investigators believe pulled out a weapon and fired shots at the suspect during the shooting spree was also taken into custody. Police believe the man was firing in self-defense, however, and likely wouldn't face any charges.
Gun violence in Philly
Entering Wednesday, Philadelphia had reported 217 homicides so far in 2023, according to police data. That's down about 19% from the same time the previous year, which was one of the deadliest on record in Philadelphia.
Children have made up about 11% of the nearly 930 shooting victims so far this year in Philadelphia, according to data released by the City Controller's Office, which was last updated Sunday.
Officials revealed at a news conference on Wednesday that there have been 292 ghost guns recovered by the police this year. Two of those guns were recovered from the suspect in Monday's mass shooting. Ghost guns cannot be traced and are readily accessible to those who cannot legally obtain guns.
Editor's Note (July 6, 2023): Some of the victims' names have been updated upon authorities changing the spelling as more information was revealed.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
