Police officers in Philadelphia have arrested a male and his female companion in connection to a shooting incident on Saturday that left a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot wound in the head. Elijah Simmons, 19, and Caressa McFarland, 32, were arrested the following day and both are facing different charges.
According to Fox News, the victim was not the main target of the suspects and police believe he was shot by accident. The boy, who was not identified, was transported to a local hospital and is reported to be in critical condition. Simmons is facing charges of aggravated assault while McFarland is charged with reckless endangerment.
The shooting was said to have probably been connected to a carjacking incident that reportedly happened around the same time frame. Police are still unable to provide additional details on the case.
Carjackings in Philadelphia have reached a staggering record in 2022 with 420 cars stolen not even past mid-year. Former Deputy commission Joseph Sullivan has called for a more organized crackdown on this with officials scratching their heads on the sudden surge.
"We definitely saw an increase after corona," Sullivan said as he argued over the rise of such crimes resulting from lenient enforcement policies and putting an end to programs that help keep kids off the streets.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, three suspicious individuals were witnessed by police officers shooting another man in a silvery gray SUV in East Germantown on Sunday evening. Two Philadelphia cops in plainclothes from the 14th district were investigating another homicide case and were on patrol on the 6100 block of Baynton Street. It was about 6:40 pm when they saw the shooting and quickly responded to the scene.
The suspects reportedly shot their victim about 15 to 27 times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, was in critical condition and was pronounced dead after succumbing to his injuries. The fatal drive-by targeted the 31-year-old man and police said the officers returned fire on the suspects but are not sure if the suspected shooters were hit by police gunfire.
Law enforcement has launched an active investigation however no arrests have been made.
