A teenager is facing a multitude of charges for his alleged role in last week’s shooting outside the Christy Recreation Center pool in West Philadelphia that left five people wounded, including three children.
Keon Kiah, 17, turned himself in Friday night, hours after authorities issued an arrest warrant for him. Detectives believe he was the shooter, though they continue to search for others who may have been involved, a Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson told Metro.
Gunfire erupted at around 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, near 56th and Christian streets, as about 75 people were at the pool on a hot summer day, officials said.
A 16-year-old boy remains hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the face, according to the PPD. Another 16-year-old boy sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound to his hip.
Bullets grazed two children – a 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl – and a 32-year-old male rec center employee, authorities said.
Kiah is accused of returning to the area with a gun following a prior altercation across the street from the Christy pool. Several other people accompanied him, investigators said.
Police released a pair of surveillance clips in the days after the mass shooting, one of which showed the suspects running as children frantically scrambled out of the pool.
“It’s difficult for me, because I grew up here. That is a pool that I grew up in. I lived only two blocks away,” Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told reporters at the scene. “This was always a safe place for us as children to come.”
“To find that we had almost 75 children in the pool. And individuals would come down here and fire when our children are here,” he continued. “There are boundaries. And if they don’t set the boundaries, then we will set them for them.”
Kiah has been charged with 14 counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, as well as several firearm-related offenses. As a minor, he was not legally able to possess a gun.
The public defender’s association, which is representing Kiah, declined to comment on the case. Court records indicate he is currently being held on bail at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15.
Christy Rec Center and pool closed in the aftermath of the shooting and reopened Saturday, according to multiple media reports.
City officials and elected leaders are hosting a community meeting Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the recreation center, 728 S. 55th St.
