A community is reeling after three men were killed during a shooting at a basketball court in Philadelphia.
Law enforcement is searching for five suspects in the carnage at the 8th and Diamond basketball courts that left three men dead and another critically wounded on Friday. The victims killed have been identified as Isiah Williams, 21, Nyreese Moore, 22, and 24-year-old Naasir Folk.
Authorities said the suspects began shooting at a group of men at the playground shortly before 6pm on Friday before fleeing the scene. More than 50 shell casings from three different weapons were found at the scene, according to The Washington Post.
Moore’s mother remembered her son as a devoted player whose friendly character was well-known on the court. The grieving mother told ABC News that Moore had a deep love for sports but especially enjoyed basketball and had been placed for the Amateur Athletic Union before losing his life to violence.
He leaves behind a one-year-old daughter, his mother said.
Harold Boswell with the Philadelphia Anti-Drug and Anti-Violence Network said the nonprofit would support families and the community as they grapple with the deaths of their loved ones and the aftermath of the trauma.
“It’s sad. Kids are just coming to do a normal thing. They come, play basketball, go to the store,” Mr Bowell told ABC. “They were pretty destroyed. The mom was nonstop crying, which is understandable ...The dad, when you’re a father and your son gets killed, it takes something out of you. I can’t imagine that feeling.”
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner James Kelly said that the shooting appeared to have been targeted. No arrests have been made as of Monday afternoon.
“As tragic as this is, we were lucky we had a bunch of very young children playing on the sidewalk. Thank God none of those children were hit,” Mr Kelly said at a press conference over the weekend.
Three men were killed during a shooting at a Philadelphia basketball court on Friday night— (ABC News)
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the city is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrests of suspects in shootings perpetrated in the vicinities of schools, recreation centres and libraries.
Brett Bessler, the vice president of the union representing Parks and Recreation employees, said that city employees have increasingly faced hurdles and threats when working with communities.
Mr Bessler told ABC that he had requested assistance from the city to help combat the growing violence Since 2019, there have been over 300 shootings at or very close to Philadelphia Parks and Recreation facilities, according to Mr Bessler.
“[Parks and Recreation employees] have been mugged, they’ve been beaten, they’ve had knives in their face, guns in their face, and that just keeps happening over and over again. They feel like they have PTSD from this job,” Mr Bessler told the network.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact detectives at 215-686-8477.
