South Street shooting: Murders charges held for suspects in mass shooting that killed 3, injured 11
PHILADELPHIA - Three of the men accused in the South Street shooting that claimed the lives of three people, and injured another 11, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Nasir Jackson (alias Nahjee Whittington) and Namir Jones (alias Qaadir Dukes-Hill) were charged with murder after they were arrested in a days-long manhunt that ended in Virginia.
Jackson and Jones, both 18 years old, are accused of killing two innocent bystanders as chaos erupted on one of Philadelphia's famous streets one night in June.
All charges, including murder, against both suspects were held for court on Wednesday. Defense attorneys argued for third-degree murder and no conspiracy charges.
"The amount of shots fired, the positioning of the shots, the fast that these two individuals were firing in a crowded street," said Joanne Pescatore from the Philadelphia DA's Office. "It's just sad if you're a parent watching that, it's just awful."
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Alexis Quinn and Kristopher Minners, both 22 years old, were among a total of 14 people struck when gunmen opened fire on South Street, and crowds began to flee.
Alexis's mother, Tina Quinn, was at the Center City courthouse on Wednesday hoping the hearing signaled the first step to justice for her daughter.
"I know she’s probably shining down on me, because I just want justice for her," Tina said.
During Wednesday's hearing the prosecution showed a compilation of surveillance videos that outlined the timeline of the mass shooting. Investigators believe it all started with a fistfight between three men that escalated to gunfire.
They argue George Jackson shot at a man who returned fire in self-defense, killing Jackson. Prosecutors later decided the man who they say acted in self-defense will not be charged, despite Mayor Kenney's pressing for charges.
Rashaan Vereen, 34, and Quran Garner, 18, face charges in the deadly mass shooting on South Street.
Rashaan Vereen, 34, who is accused of starting the fight that spiraled into chaos and deadly gunfire will be in court later this month.
Amid the chaos, authorities said Garner fired towards the brawl. According to investigators, Garner was armed with a ghost gun equipped with an extended magazine and pointed the weapon at approaching officers.
Police shot Garner in the hand which caused him to drop the gun and flee the scene, according to authorities. It's believed that he ran to the scene of an unrelated shooting blocks away where he told officers that he was shot on South Street.
Garner is facing aggravated assault charges for the shots he allegedly fire, but a judge on Wednesday dismissed charges of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer. His attorney and the prosecution agreed that Garner's back was to police and father down South Street.
The prosecution says video shows Jones and Jackson fired their guns in response to the initial gunfire, striking and killing Quinn and Minners as a flood of people tried to run away. The attorneys for Jones and Jackson, meanwhile, argued that they had no intent to kill and they shouldn't be charged with first-degree murder.
"When my client fired, it's clear that he was firing in the midst of the chaos and confusion with no real target in mind," Jones's attorney Mary Maran said.
While the fallout from the South Street shooting continues to unfold in court, families of the victims are still feeling the void of the loved ones they lost on a summer night in Philadelphia.
"I don't sleep at night, I'm trying to hold it together now, but my pain is unbearable," Tina Quinn said.