PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia man suspected of killing three men in two apparently random ambush-style shootings in recent weeks was arrested Thursday morning during a raid on his West Oak Lane home, police said Friday.
Derrick Jones, 21, was taken into custody at his home in the 6900 block of Forrest Ave. He has been charged with three counts of murder and related offenses.
Investigators have not identified a motive for any of the crimes.
“The motive is unknown,” said Homicide Capt. Jason Smith. “That is the burning question: Why did Mr. Jones murder in cold blood three males?”
Jones, who was on probation for firearms and auto theft convictions at the time of the shootings, refused to speak to investigators after his arrest and has not given a statement, Smith said during a news conference at police headquarters.
Investigators have not been able to establish any connection between Jones and his victims, Smith said. “This is a total random act of violence, which we may never get to the bottom of and uncover why.”
He said there was no indication that any of victims did anything to provoke Jones. “There weren’t any signs or indications” of trouble, Smith said. “There weren’t any precursors to these violent acts. ... He stalked them and he executed them.”
The first slaying took place just before 10:30 p.m. June 28 in the 6400 block of North Broad Street, police said. Zamir Syrus, 20, who lived a block away, had just gotten off of a SEPTA bus when he was shot numerous times in the torso.
Paramedics rushed him to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he died.
Then, on July 7th at 10:48 pm, Tyheim Tucker, 21, and Justin Robert Smith, 20, were gunned down in the 1900 block of 68th Avenue, also in West Oak Lane. Tucker, of the 2000 block of 68th Avenue, and Smith, a friend who lived in the same block, had just gotten off a SEPTA bus when they were shot multiple times, police said.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police recovered six fired .45-caliber cartridges at the scene of Syrus’ slaying, and 13 fired .45-caliber cartridges at the scene of the killings of Tucker and Smith. Ballistics tests indicated that the fired rounds came from a .45-caliber Glock handgun with an extended magazine that was recovered during the raid of Jones’ home. Police have been unable to find a record of the owner for the weapon.
Investigators also recovered clothing at Jones’ home that they believe he was wearing when they say he committed the crimes.
Jones, who has four previous arrests, including two as a juvenile, was on probation for auto theft and firearms convictions at the time of the shootings, Smith said.
Police have not been able to establish any connection between Jones and his victims, Smith said. “This is a total random act of violence, which we may never get to the bottom of and uncover why.”
He said there was no indication that any of victims did anything to provoke Jones. “There weren’t any signs or indications” of trouble, Smith said. “There weren’t any precursors to these violent acts.”
Jones, he said, has refused to cooperate with investigators and has not given a statement.
The three slayings were among 292 homicides so far this year, more than in any year in more than a decade except last year, when there were 298 slayings by this date. In 2021, the year ended with the most homicides in Philadelphia history: 562.
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