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$36,500 reward offered in fatal shooting of Philadelphia police inspector's son

Published  April 2, 2019 12:22pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - The reward being offered for information leading to an arrest in the killing of a Philadelphia police inspector's son has increased to $36,500.

Authorities say a gunman who apparently came to a South Philadelphia park in response to a fight between women opened fire on a large group, killing 20-year-old Nicholas Flacco.

Captain Jason Smith says Flacco was with a group gathered Saturday night in FDR Park after tailgating at a Phillies game. Several fights between females broke out, and an unidentified woman was heard threatening to "call her man and that they should be afraid."

Police say a man with a revolver arrived and fired a revolver into the air and to the side. He left but returned 10 or 15 minutes later and shot Flacco.

"They dared him to shoot them," said Smith. "They told us that they didn't believe the gun was real at that time."

Flacco was hit in the chest and was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, but died there a short time later.

Flacco is the son of Chris Flacco, the chief inspector of internal affairs at the Philadelphia Police Department. Authorities say he was a college student at Penn State University who had returned home for the weekend to celebrate his birthday.

MORE: Son of Philadelphia police official shot to death | FDR Park shooting highlights violent weekend in Philadelphia

The reward being offered in Flacco's case includes $10,000 from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police (FOP Lodge 5), $5,000 from the Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union Local 22, the standard $20,000 reward offered by the City of Philadelphia for all homicide cases, $1,000 from local defense attorney Joseph Kelly and $500 from a local couple.

FOP Lodge 5 President John McNesby called the murder "a senseless act of violence."

Flacco's was one of five homicides over the weekend in Philadelphia. The city has recorded 80 homicides in 2019 thus far, up from eight at this time last year.

"It's extremely frustrating," said Smith. "If the community came together we wouldn't have this problem -- certainly not to this degree."

Anyone with information is urged to call Philadelphia Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or 215-686-TIPS.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.