DA: 14-year-old charged in connection with fatal shooting of Philadelphia Parks and Rec employee
City, police officials discuss fatal shooting of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation employee
City and police officials gathered at Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner's weekly gun crimes update to discuss the fatal shooting of Tiffany Fletcher, a Parks and Recreation employee gunned down outside the Mill Creeks Recreation Center.
PHILADELPHIA - A teenager has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia parks and rec employee, the Philadelphia District Attorney announced.
According to authorities, Tiffany Fletcher, 40, was preparing to welcome students to the Mill Creek Recreation Center after school when she got stuck in the crossfire of a shootout between two groups on Friday.
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Police released new details about the investigation in Da Larry Krasner's weekly gun crimes press conference.
Officials say 16th District officers heard gunshots in the area of the 4700 block of Brown Street Friday afternoon, around 1:30 p.m.
Responding officers saw people running and officers chased and arrested a 14-year-old man on Perry Street, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw announced.
A detective later recovered a 9mm ghost gun loaded with one round in the chamber and one round in the magazine from a trash can on Perry Street, according to officials.
As the teen was arrested, other officers located Fletcher suffering from gunshot wounds to both sides of her body on Brown Street.
Outlaw says after being shot, Fletcher ran to a nearby business, where they tried to tend to her wounds.
Fletcher was transported to Presbyterian Hospital, where she died from her injuries, authorities said.
Police say she was outside of the recreation center when she was caught in the crossfire between the 14-year-old and at least one other person.
"Yet again, we're talking about how there are supposed to be sacred and safe spaces available for our kids and they're becoming backdrops for unimaginable acts of violence yet again," Outlaw said.
The teen has been charged as an adult with attempted murder and related offenses.
Officials say if convicted, he could face a mandatory 30-year sentence.
Police say $30,000 worth of rewards are being offered for information that leads to a conviction in the case, one reward for a shooting near a playground and another ongoing reward for homicides in the city.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell called Fletcher a "civic hero" for her dedication to her job at Mill Creek Playground.
Fletcher worked as a pool maintenance attendant over the summer and stayed on staff when pool season ended, according to Lovell.
Officials say Fletcher's family lives less than two blocks away from the rec center where she was gunned down.
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Fletcher's sister-in-law and other family members joined officials at the meeting, thanking the community for their support.
Her family described her as a loving person who would give anyone the shirt off her back and they pleaded with anyone with information to come forward to get justice for her death.