PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police are searching for a pair of cousins they say are persons of interest involved in the shooting deaths on Friday of three teenagers at a home in the city’s Lawncrest neighborhood.
The cousins are 15-year-old Taj Lennon and 22-year-old Tyree Lennon. Both have open warrants for their arrest for other cases.
On Friday around 3 p.m., two cars pulled up to a home on the 5900 block of Palmetto Street, near Van Kirk Street, said Inspector Ernest Ransom, commander of the Homicide Unit. Officials believe they were there for a gun buy.
“Based on the information we received, they go into the house on that block for some sort of transaction. At some point during the meeting, gunfire erupted, and there were four shooting victims,” Ransom said.
Police responding to reports of gunfire at the home discovered three teenagers who had been fatally shot. Malik Ballard, 17, was on the sidewalk outside. Khalif Frezghi, 18, was on the porch. Salah Fleming, 14, was found just inside the entrance.
The fourth victim, a 16-year-old, had a gunshot wound to the chest area. Police say two other teens, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, drove him to the hospital, dropped him off and left.
Police later found the two nearby and arrested them on gun charges, Ransom said.
Tyree Lennon has several open cases, including gun charges, aggravated assault offenses, criminal trespassing, making terroristic threats, strangulation and other charges.
Police say Taj and Tyree Lennon should be considered to be armed and dangerous, and they ask that anyone with any information about their whereabouts call 911 or contact the Department with a tip.
"The gun violence with the juveniles is out of control, that goes without saying. We have to find a way to get the guns off the street and to have some sort of intervention, and we believe the parents need to be involved to make this happen," Ransom said.
"Those days of giving your children space should be over. If you see something — and I know you heard this cliché before — you see something, say something. If parents are fearful of their children, they should call anonymously as well. So if you know your child has a gun, it behooves you to let us know what’s going on."
Submitting a tip
Submit an anonymous tip online, or send a tip via phone or text at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or by email at tips@phillypolice.com.
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