WEST PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Malik Flegler, 18, glanced at the speakers occasionally, but mostly stared straight forward during his sentencing hearing on Thursday.
Flegler was originally supposed to cooperate with investigators in their search for a third suspect in the September 2022 shooting of Parks and Rec employee Tiffany Fletcher while she was on break at Mill Creek Playground, but the deal fell through after prosecutors say he failed to uphold his end of the deal.
That suspect is still at large and Judge Barbara McDermott said despite being in jail for two years, Flegler still does not understand the severity of the offense and sentenced him to 12 and a half to 25 years in jail.
Fletcher died after being hit by a stray bullet during a gun battle that broke out at the playground. Her family in the courtroom on Thursday said they hoped the judge would make an example out of Flegler.
Fletcher’s long-term partner, who is raising her children, said “if you commit the crime, you should be able to do the time,” and that he must hold back his true feelings daily so he can move on with his life. He also said gun violence is an “epidemic” and said it is “tragic” a hard worker like Fletcher could lose her life while on a break at work.
Her niece said their relationship was like Thelma and Louise and that she needed to find strength to address the court in honor of Fletcher’s memory.
When given a chance to speak Flegler said “the whole this has been blown out of proportion” and that he “just came to the park to chill, but everything happened so fast.”
A third man, Makie Jones, also received 10-25 years for his role in the shooting.