PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia judge has upheld five murder charges and four attempted murder charges against Kimbrady Carriker, the man accused of gunning down nine people in Kingsessing last summer.
Carriker was attentive but emotionless through his hours-long preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Police officers, victims and investigators testified to the blood, death and trauma in the Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood eight months ago.
Prosecutors started with surveillance video showing Carriker walking into Joseph Wamah Jr.’s house on July 2. That’s when they say Carriker shot and killed Wamah, his first victim. Police did not find Wamah’s body until after Carriker killed four more people in the same neighborhood, because when someone called 911 to report the gunfire, police were dispatched to the wrong address.
Later, a ballistics expert testified that bullets and shell casings from Wamah’s home matched a gun Carriker had when he was arrested the next day. Prosecutors played surveillance video from July 3 showing a man they say is Carriker, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an AR-15-style ghost gun. He is seen marching through the neighborhood, near 56th Street and Springfield Avenue, taking large steps as if he is hunting, shooting at cars and people.
Flashes of light erupt from the muzzle of the gun as victims drop to the ground. Some are walking, like Da’Juan Brown, 15, and Lashyd Merritt, 21. Ralph Moralis, 59, can be seen stepping out of a parked car when he is hit.
The killing of 29-year-old Dymir Stanton was not captured on video.
Prosecutor Bob Wainwright said Brown, in fact, saved the life of his friend, another gunshot victim that day, by flagging down a police officer.
“She encountered the 15-year-old decedent, who told her that his friend, the 13-year-old shooting victim, had just been shot, and told her to help him,” Wainwright said.
Through tears, officer Natasha Chestnut said she stayed with the 13-year-old as “blood squirted” from his wounds. Then, she said: more gunfire.
“And what those gunshots were was — the 15-year-old who had just sought her help was then gunned down by Carriker,” Wainwright said.
One woman testified that Carriker stepped in front of her car and fired directly at her and the kids inside the car with her — her 2-year-old twin sons and her 10-year-old niece. She said one boy was shot three times in the leg, and his brother had a graze wound to the head.
She said one boy was shot three times in the leg, and his brother had a graze wound to the head.
Prosecutors played body camera video from the officer who arrested Carriker, Ryan Howell, showing him running for blocks and blocks toward the sound of gunfire.
Carriker was arrested near the scene. Police at the time said he was wearing a camouflage mask, was armed with a handgun in addition to the rifle as well as several magazines of ammunition, and a cell phone broadcasting a police scanner.
During cross examination, his defense attorneys alluded to his mental health issues, asking questions about things Carriker said around the time of his arrest, including a statement that he was “helping” combat gun violence police because “all these people are out here killing each other.”
The criminal case against Carriker was delayed in August, when he was found unfit to stand trial and ordered to undergo a period of inpatient mental health treatment. He is now on medication for his condition and has been deemed mentally competent to move forward in court.
“When he was apprehended, he actually told officer Howell ‘Good job,’” said Wainwright. “There was testimony from officer Howell that he heard from another officer the defendant made statements along the lines of ‘I'm out here helping you guys.’”
Carriker has been charged with several counts of murder, attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, weapons violations and related offenses.
The hearing had to be paused for a short time because some family members became very distraught. One woman had a panic attack and had to go to the hospital. A man was detained for a short time for making an outburst in the courtroom.