Kin of lawmaker is murder victim

PHILADELPHIA. A 22-year-old nephew of City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. was murdered following an argument in Germantown late Saturday night, according to police and a spokeswoman for Jones.

David Dial, of the 5800 block of Chew Avenue, and a friend were each shot after getting into a verbal dispute with two other men at a corner deli at Chew and East Woodlawn avenues at about 11:45 p.m., a police spokeswoman said.

Dial suffered bullet wounds to the chest and arm. He died about 45 minutes later at Einstein Hospital, Officer Tanya Little said.

Jones, who did not show up yesterday afternoon at an event along the Philadelphia Cycling Championship route as he had planned to, could not be reached. His spokeswoman Michelle Wilson said the councilman and his family declined comment.

“They hope everyone will honor their privacy at this time,” she said.

Detectives were still searching for the two men Dial and his unidentified friend argued with prior to the shooting. No arrests were made.

Dial’s friend, a 21-year-old, was also taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, police said, and remained hospitalized last night with bullet wounds to his back.