PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia authorities have announced charges against 12 people in connection with a series of shootings between April 2021 and May 2023 that injured more than two dozen and killed one.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the individuals are tied to three gangs — the Senders, Clappers and Close Range Gang — who struck innocent bystanders, including a 2-year-old, while shooting at each other.
“A lot of these young kids think it is a game,” said Detective Kelley Gallagher with the Shooting Investigation Group. “On social media, they compare it to a basketball game. And how that works is for every shooting victim, they say they have a point. It’s really honestly just a game to them.”
One of the incidents involved the shooting death of Mehki Ingram, a 16-year-old who was walking home in January 2022 when he was ambushed and killed in West Philly. Taahir Rowe has been charged with his murder.
“A group of males including Taahir Rowe set up in a parking lot waiting for him. When the decedent walked passed them, they shot numerous times, causing him to collapse on the ground,” said Prosecutor Katherine Reamy.
In Strawberry Mansion in February 2023, four teenagers were targeted and shot in their legs. A 2-year-old, her mother and sibling were injured in the crossfire.
“We have a big problem right now with retaliatory shootings between these individuals who do not understand and do not have the concept of conflict resolution unless a gun is in their hand,” said Bill Fritze, supervisor of the Gun Violence Task Force.
Officials say they are continuing to investigate to see if the groups are connected to any other unsolved shootings or homicides in the city.
Police on Friday said they were looking to locate 16-year-old Jovanni Solomon for attempted murder in one of the shootings, which occurred on April 5, 2023, in South Philadelphia.
He turned himself in to authorities around 1 a.m. Saturday.