PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A security guard on duty at the construction site of the 2021 Christmas Village has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a man Tuesday night at LOVE Park.
Investigators say Gregory Thomas, 43, who was working security at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, got involved in an altercation with another man around 8:40 p.m. Thomas is accused of, moments later, walking to a gray 2007 Jeep SUV to get a black duffle bag, then taking a handgun out of the bag and shooting the man several times.
Afterward, cops say, Thomas took off in the Jeep, traveling westbound on JFK Boulevard.
Police officers on site found the victim, later identified as 29-year-old Ryan Croft, suffering from gunshot wounds to the head, neck and abdomen. He was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he died.
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Investigators say the operations supervisor of the security company Thomas works for made contact with Thomas at his residence and took him to the Philadelphia Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Thomas is charged with murder, firearms violations and related offenses.
Crews were back at work constructing Christmas Village Wednesday morning. C. McCoy went there to protest.
“I’ve had four nephews murdered in the last two years,” he said, holding a sign that said, “No More Silence STOP GUN VIOLENCE.”
“One of my best friends had his son murdered. I’m tired, man, just really tired,” McCoy said.
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In a statement, Christmas Village organizers said they are "evaluating the overnight security protocols and working with [police] to ensure overnight presence at Christmas Village in the interim. We are dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming experience and have done so for over a decade. We contract with a private security company and have done so every year."
At a press conference Wednesday, Mayor Jim Kenney reitierated how dangerously fast you can get a gun in Pennsylvania.
“You could be a felon and still get a gun in Pennsylvania through a straw purchase,” he said.
Thomas was not licensed or permitted to carry a gun, Kenney noted.
“[Thomas] went to his private vehicle and grabbed a private gun that [he] probably shouldn’t have had based on his past history, and that’s an ongoing problem that we deal with,” he said.
Philadelphia police say they have taken more than 5,100 guns off the street so far this year — the highest ever on record. The number of homicides in the city now stands at 473, most of whom were killed in shootings.
The investigation is active and ongoing as police scour the area for more surveillance video.
Editor’s update, Dec. 29, 2023
Gregory Thomas was acquitted of murder by Judge Charles Ehrlich but was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, as well as gun charges and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.