On Feb. 13, 2024, prosecutors decided not to move forward on a slew of charges against Javuan Parris, including burglary, conspiracy, drug and some firearms charges.
In exchange, Parris pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with a manufactured number altered, tampering with records, criminal trespassing, and a conspiracy charge.
Judge Tracy Brandeis-Roman sentenced him to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison with 3 years probation and credit for time served.
In a negotiated deal, Eric Woodard pleaded guilty in Feb. 2023 to third-degree murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy and related offenses. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Aquil Collins pleaded guilty in Sept. 2023 to conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and drug offenses. He was sentenced to at least 3 1/2 years in prison.
ORIGINAL STORY FOLLOWS:
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Four Philadelphia men have been arrested and charged in connection to a string of homicides and shootings in the Grays Ferry neighborhood dating back to 2016.
15 suspects have been charged after the investigation. Some of the men were already in custody before Thursday. Six have not yet been arrested, but authorities with the Gun Violence Task Force say they are all from one group and are responsible for at least 18 shootings.
The task force is a joint operation between the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
"Part of this investigation started because a young man was killed at 27th and Dickinson. He was 17 years old. He didn't even get to grow up," said Assistant District Attorney William Fritze. He will prosecute the cases.
The youngest victim was Rasul Benson, 15, who was shot while riding his bike with friends along Passyunk Ave in October of 2018. A woman, a nurse walking home from work, was shot by a stray bullet.
"As we begin to look at the shootings taking place, we saw there were back and forth shootings, and we saw that there were the same group of people committing these shootings," Fritze added.
Fritze claims a pattern emerged with these shootings, one which involved a stolen car.
"It's usually a group of individuals, and they will drive down the street, and they will spin the block and come around and they'll do the shooting," Fritze said.
"The culture now is 'Shoot, or you will be shot,'" he said.
The four men who were just charged include:
- Eric Woodard, who faces one count of murder, four counts of attempted murder and gun charges
- Haneef Wilkins, with three counts of attempted murder and gun charges
- Aquil Collins, with four counts of attempted murder
- Javaun Parris, who faces two counts of conspiracy and stolen property charges
The charges stem from a grand jury investigation which started in 2019 between the Attorney General and District Attorney's offices. The Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police and the ATF all assisted in the task force. Authorities also credit tips from the public in helping to solve and stop shootings.
