Philadelphia Mass Shooting Incident
Mass shootings are a social issue that is just, unfortunately, reoccurring everywhere in the world. Gun violence keeps getting progressively more and more out of control. This just shows that violence is so unpredictable, and it is everywhere. In fact, just very recently, a day before Independence Day, the 3rd of July. A suspect conducted a mass shooting in Philadelphia. First, the person that conducted this tragedy is named Kimbrady Carriker, and he is a 40-year-old man. He ended the life of five people in total and four others were injured. As of right now, he is being held without bail for the murders that he committed.
Furthermore, Carriker was charged with 11 total offenses and several counts of each individual that he took his life away from. Besides the charges that he got for murder, he also is now facing charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, and carrying a firearm without a valid permit.
The Victims
Those whose life was unfortunately taken away so unexpectedly were the following:
- Daujan Brown, 15
- Lashyd Merritt, 22
- Dymir Stanton, 29
- Ralph Moralis, 59
- Joseph Wamah Jr., 31.
These are the victims that unfortunately passed away in this tragedy. In addition, there were all found late Monday night, but Wamah was found until the next Tuesday morning. Moreover, he did not just murder these innocent people, he also injured others. Carriker shot two boys, ages 2 and 13, in the legs. Which fortunately were in stable condition. Also, a 33-year-old woman and another 2-year-old boy were injured by glass. It has been confirmed that Carriker used an assault-style rifle to conduct this shooting.
The Reason for This Reckless Shooting
According to sources, the reason why Carriker wanted to commit this massacre is because he wanted to “clean the neighborhood.” This was Carriker’s statement to the police department when he was detained.
This shows how this man was not being conscious of what he was doing. The reason was that he was shooting aimlessly, with the total intention of shooting anyone who, at that moment and time, crossed his path.
The Signs
Unfortunately, he was already giving signs of what he was planning to do. Yet, no one spoke up about these alarming behaviors. He lived with seven other roommates, and at least one mentioned that he was acting very agitated and that Carriker was wearing a bulletproof vest days before the shooting. His roommate also mentioned that he already had possession of the guns.
He was also making public posts on social media, such as how he supported the 2nd Amendment regarding gun possession, and how he supported President Donald Trump. On the other side, he would also post publications making fun of Joe Biden. Furthermore, Carriker’s family had been concerned about his mental health issues for years. One law enforcement officer also says that Carriker views himself as an ally to law enforcement. Law enforcement saw it as a factor as to why he didn’t shoot police officers or resisted in any type of way when they arrested him. The good news is that this suspect has been officially detained without bail or any type of parole.
Chicago Shootings
Philadelphia is no different than Chicago or any other place. The reason is that gun violence is increasing everywhere nowadays. More specifically, Little Village and North Lawndale are just a couple of neighborhoods, to name a few with the most gun violence. In fact, in the South Side, which is also Little Village, there is a 1 in 13 chance of becoming a victim of any type of crime. On the other side in North Lawndale, it’s a 1 in 9 probability of becoming a victim of any type of crime. These statistics are higher than the national average.
Written by Jeanette Sanchez
Sources:
6ABC: Philadelphia mass shooting suspect left behind a will, had been acting agitated: DA
CNN US: Philadelphia mass shooting suspect told police he did it to clean up the neighborhood, sources say
The New York Times: In Philadelphia, a Mass Shooting Leaves Five Dead
ABC News: Philadelphia Mass Shooting: What we know about the 5 victims
Southwest Journal: 11 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Chicago 2023: Inside the Danger Zones
Featured Image Courtesy of Office of Public Affairs Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Alan Levine Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
