Kimbrady Carriker: Suspect in deadly 2023 Philadelphia mass shooting held for trial on all charges
PHILADELPHIA - Kimbrady Carriker, a shooter accused of going on a murderous rampage through a Philadelphia neighborhood last summer, appeared in court on Tuesday.
Carriker will be held for trial on all charges following a preliminary hearing that occurred for the mass shooting Tuesday morning at a Center City courthouse.
Family members of victims and survivors packed the courtroom Tuesday.
The hearing stopped for at least a half hour after a family member of one of the victims got into a heated exchange with a sheriff’s deputy, and left the courtroom with other family members.
Carriker was 40-years-old when investigators say he shot and killed five people and wounded several others, including a 2-year-old boy and 13-year-old boy.
The July shooting began near the intersection of 56th and Chester streets, and continued onto Frazier Street where police managed to corner Carriker in an alley.
During the preliminary hearing, Assistant District Attorney Robert Wainwright called on a Philadelphia Police Homicide detective to play a video compilation that captured several of the murders on camera.
"Basically, it shows the distance this defendant walked, all the way down south on 56th street, and then starts to walk up Frazier street," he says. "We actually capture, of the 4 murders that occurred in that 8:30 July 3rd timeframe, we capture 3 of them on video."
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Kimbrady Carriker: Suspect charged in Philadelphia mass shooting that left 5 dead
Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was arraigned by video conference on 10 sets of charges for 10 victims, including those who were murdered, wounded by gunfire and injured during the chaos.
The prosecution called the mother of the twin 2-year-old boys that were injured in the shooting. One was shot and the other grazed in a car, to testify about the terrifying moments from that day.
They also called on Officer Natasha Chestnut, who said she was flagged down by 15-year-old Dajuan Brown about his 13-year-old friend that was shot. Brown was then fatally shot seconds later.
"She heard the gunshots and what those gunshots were was the 15-year-old, who had just sought her help for his friend, he was then gunned down by Carriker," says ADA Wainwright. "She then took the 13-year-old to the hospital and basically saved his life."
Philadelphia Police Officer Ryan Howell also testified after the prosecution played body camera video showing him courageously running towards Carriker after the shootings and taking him into custody as he was hiding in the alleyway.
"There was testimony from Officer Howell that he heard from another officer that the defendant made statements of, ‘I’m out here helping you guys,’" says ADA Wainwright.
Carriker’s defense attorneys, with the Defenders Association of Philadelphia, did not want to comment on camera. They did not call any witnesses during the hearing.
Investigators said Carriker was wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with an AR-15 style rifle when he surrendered.
Another handgun, along with ammunition that matched shell casings found at the scene, were recovered during a search of the suspect's home.
A Firearms Identification Unit officer testified that Carriker’s AR-style rifle that was used in the killings was a ghost gun.
The DA's office also said a handwritten will dated June 23 was also found at Carriker's home. No further details about what was stated in the will have been released.
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Carriker's mental state had previously also been called into question after witnesses told police Carriker exhibited "abnormal behavior" prior to the deadly shooting.
Police have since identified the five victims who lost their lives as Daujan Brown, 15, Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, and Ralph Moralis, 59. Investigators believe Wamah Jr. may have been the first victim, and was found dead inside a home hours after the shooting stopped.
Carriker’s next court date is scheduled for April 9th.