Police have made an arrest in the mass shooting that left three people dead and nine others wounded last month in Grays Ferry.
Terrell Frazier, 22, was taken into custody this week after authorities searched his West Philadelphia home, officials said Thursday. He is expected to be the first person charged in the July 7 shooting.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said investigators are not sure who Frazier killed or injured, but they believe he is among a group of individuals who unloaded more than 140 bullets in the early morning hours of July 7 on the 1500 block of S. Etting Street.
The PPD is recommending he be charged with three counts of homicide, nine counts of attempted murder and a host of other offenses. Frazier’s legal counsel could not be identified Thursday.
“This arrest is not the end of this investigation,” Vanore told reporters at a news conference. “We are very close on a few others, and we believe other charges are forthcoming.”
Evidence recovered from the scene indicates that 13 weapons were fired during the shooting, which happened as 100 to 200 people gathered outside for a party.
Detectives do not believe there was any argument or opposing group that showed up. Instead, Vanore said, they think someone fired a weapon – possibly up into the air in celebration – triggering a spate of “contagious gunfire.”
The bullets killed 23-year-old Zahir Wylie, 19-year-old Jason Reese and 24-year-old Azir Harris, according to authorities.
Nine other people between the ages of 15 and 24 were struck, Vanore said those victims have since been treated and released from the hospital.
A night before the shooting, police were called to the same block to break up a rowdy crowd, according to investigators. Two people were arrested for assaulting officers, and Frazier was pictured jumping on top of a PPD cruiser, Vanore said.
Law enforcement believes the party was reconvened 24 hours later. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, said officers were monitoring the get-together but left to respond to another incident when the shots erupted.
The deadly gunfire occurred during a violent Fourth of July weekend in the city that included a separate mass shooting that left eight people wounded in South Philadelphia.
Counseling, peer support, and victim advocacy services are available for victims, family members, and others affected by gun violence. Go to metrophiladelphia.com/gun-violence-resources for more information.
