PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal authorities have arrested two men who law enforcement officials believe to be the last remaining suspects connected to Saturday's mass shooting on South Street. The pair of 18-year-olds were taken into custody in Virginia, on murder charges.
Officials say tips from the public led U.S. marshals to an apartment complex in Richmond, where they arrested Quadir Dukes-Hill and Nahjee Whittington. Dukes-Hill is accused of killing Alexis Quinn, a 24-year-old home health aid, and Whittington is accused of killing Kristopher Minners, a 22-year-old resident assistant at Girard College.
Officials briefed reporters in two separate press conferences Thursday afternoon — one with the Philadelphia district attorney's office, the other with the mayor, police commissioner and federal authorities.
The pair are expected to be extradited to Philadelphia in the coming weeks to be formally arraigned.
Whittington was 17 at the time of the shooting but is now 18. He will be charged as an adult, but because of his age on Saturday, a decision will have to be made as to whether he will be remanded to juvenile court instead, according to the district attorney's office.
Both have juvenile arrest records, including a carjacking case which was withdrawn, and Dukes-Hill had an active warrant for a case in Delaware County.
Joanne Pescatore, homicide unit chief at the district attorney's office, said surveillance video and photographs circulated by Philadelphia authorities helped lead them to the pair.
"Mr. Whittington and Mr. Dukes-Hill are friends. They were even wearing the same sweatshirt, the same exact sweatshirt. They fled the scene together and fled to Virginia together," Pescatore said.
According to investigators, the pair were not involved in the original scuffle that turned deadly at Second and South streets and sent a crowd of people running for cover. Rather, surveillance video shows that the two men fired into the crowd in response to hearing the first gunshots down the street, Pescatore said.
"It appears that they had guns, took them out and just started randomly firing," she said.
"Unfortunately, Alexis Quinn was hit by a shot fired by Mr. Dukes-Hill, and Mr. Minners was hit by a shot fired by Mr. Whittington."
"We believe all the people responsible for the violence at this point are in custody," said Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Ben Naish. "We don't believe there's anybody else that we're looking for. That's subject to change as the investigation continues."
Authorities earlier announced two arrests not connected with any of the deaths.
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Naish said investigators are still piecing together ballistic evidence and matching up shell casings and bullets with the victims of Saturday's shooting.
"We recovered multiple fire cartridge casings of a 40-caliber weapon as well as a 9mm," he said, adding that police believe the pair may be responsible for the majority of those shot and injured. Three people died in the shooting, and at least 11 other people were injured.
He credited the many tips Philadelphia police received from the public, coupled with the information they had gathered, for the arrests.
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Mayor Jim Kenney lamented the state of affairs that contributed to the shooting.
"Our overall American culture has changed," Kenney said. "Where does a 16-year-old get a gun? Where does a felon get a gun without having someone else buy it for them?
"The person that bought it for them doesn't have to report it stolen, can shield themselves with state law to allow them to not be culpable in something that's a crime. It's just crazy."
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Surveillance video from a local business showed scores of people milling about on the sidewalks and in the street of the popular nightlife corridor, then fleeing as the gunfire broke out.
Police officers were patrolling the area when they heard shots. They found several people with gunshot wounds lying on the sidewalk and in the street and began to render aid, authorities have said.
Officials have said the gunfire started with a fight between two people who fired a total of 17 shots at each other. Gregory Jackson, 34, who is said to be the instigator, was killed by Micah Towns, who was wounded; no charges are planned in that case. Both had permits to carry, though the Inquirer reported Jackson should have been denied based on a prior gun arrest. Authorities say Towns acted in self-defense.
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Earlier in the week, Quran Garner, 18, was charged on counts of aggravated assault and assaulting a law enforcement officer, and Rashaan Vereen, 34, on charges including attempted murder.