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On July 2–3, 2023, a shooting spree occurred in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Five people were killed and four people were injured. The police apprehended the shooter without incident.

Shooting

The first victim, Joseph Wamah Jr., was killed around 12.30 a.m. EDT on July 2, 2023. The subsequent victims were killed around 8:30 p.m. on July 3, 2023. The shooter, wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15–style rifle and a pistol, opened fire in southwest Kingsessing. He shot randomly at people and occupied cars, killing four more people and wounding four others, two of whom were wounded by gunfire, and two of whom were wounded by shattered glass. Police officers were flagged down and rendered first aid to victims until hearing more gunshots. The accused was then taken into custody.

At some point during the shooting, the brother of one of the victims returned fire in the direction of the shooter. He was temporarily taken into custody, but later released without charges.

Victims

Those killed were Dajuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 20; Ralph Moralis, 59, Dymir Stanton, 29; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31.

Accused

Kimbrady Carriker, age 40, of Philadelphia, was charged with five counts of murder and six other counts. He was denied bail. It was reported that he made violent and disturbing posts on social media. On a now-deleted Facebook profile, Carriker posted about "evil spirits" and stated that he went on "patrols" in his neighborhood to fight crime. According to two law enforcement officers, Carriker told police that he carried out the incident to "clean up the neighborhood". The prosecution revealed that a will dated June 23 was found in Carriker's house, but have not disclosed further details. People who knew Carriker said he was acting "agitated" in the days before the shooting, and was wearing a bulletproof vest around his house. He was convicted of a misdemeanor in 2005, preventing him from possessing firearms. On August 29, 2023, a judge ruled that Carriker was not able to stand trial due to his mental health. On March 19, 2024, the Philadelphia District Attorney's office said that Carriker was deemed competent for trial.

Investigation

Both the AR-15–style rifle and 9mm handgun in the possession of the accused were privately made firearms, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. The firearms did not have any manufacturer's markings.

The city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit on July 5 against two firearm component suppliers, Polymer80 and JSD Supply, which are among the largest suppliers of such parts in the city.

Reactions

Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney expressed outrage over the shooting, saying "This country needs to reexamine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous people's hands."

References

1. ^ "Philadelphia shootings may have begun nearly 2 days earlier than police thought". AP NEWS. July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
2. ^ Lauer, Claudia; Todt, Ron; Chang, David (July 9, 2023). "First victim of Philly gunman was killed 44 hours before mass shooting, police say". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
3. ^ Singh, Namita; Sharp, Rachel; Baio, Ariana (July 7, 2023). "Possible motive emerges in Philadelphia shooting as suspect's posts revealed". The Independent. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
4. Todt, Ron; Vejpongsa, Tassanee (July 4, 2023). "Five dead in Philadelphia shooting that's nation's worst violence around July 4". AP News. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
5. "Suspect in Kingsessing mass shooting that left 5 dead set to stand trial". 6abc Philadelphia. March 20, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
6. "Gunman opens fire at random on Philadelphia streets, killing 5 before he is arrested, police say". POLITICO. Associated Press. July 4, 2023. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
7. Kent, Maggie (July 4, 2023). "5 adults killed, 2 children injured in mass shooting in Philly; suspect found in bulletproof vest". 6 ABC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
8. Ignudo, Tom; Bailey, Wakisha; Lewis, Siafa (July 4, 2023). "Mass shooting in Philadelphia: 5 dead, 2 injured". CBS Philadelphia. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
9. ^ Palmer, Chris; Rushing, Ellie (July 5, 2023). "The Kingsessing mass shooting suspect told police the rampage was an attempt to fight gun violence, sources say". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
10. Robertson, Campbell; Hurdle, Jon; Wolfram, Joel (July 4, 2023). "In Philadelphia, a Mass Shooting Leaves Five Dead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
11. ^ Rizzo, Emily (July 4, 2023). "Philadelphia police say Kingsessing suspect was 'shooting aimlessly'". WHYY. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
12. Miller, John; Freeman, Danny; Williams, David; Paget, Sharif; Sgueglia, Kristina; Mascarenhas, Lauren (July 5, 2023). "Philadelphia mass shooting suspect told police he did it to clean up the neighborhood, sources say". CNN. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
13. "Philadelphia suspect left a will and was acting agitated days before shootings, prosecutors say". AP News. July 5, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
14. McDaniel, Justine; Bellware, Kim (July 5, 2023). "Suspect acted 'bizarre' in days before Philadelphia mass killing, officials say". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
15. "Kimbrady Carriker, suspect in Kingsessing mass shooting, found unfit to stand trial for now". 6abc Philadelphia. August 29, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
16. Mitman, Hayden (March 19, 2024). "Suspected Kingsessing mass shooter found competent, will head to trial on all charges". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
17. "Philadelphia shooter told police he did it to clean up the neighborhood: sources - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
18. Mascarenhas, Aya Elamroussi,Lauren (July 6, 2023). "Philadelphia mass shooting was 'obviously planned,' DA says. But investigation could still take months". CNN. Retrieved July 7, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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