Teen arrested in shooting at West Philly rec center that injured 5
Keon Kiah, 17, turned himself in to police Friday night and is accused of firing a gun near the Christy Recreation Center pool while it was occupied by several people, many of them children.
A 17-year-old has been arrested in the shooting Wednesday afternoon at the Christy Recreation Center in West Philadelphia that injured five people, including a 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl.
Keon Kiah turned himself in to police Friday night and is accused of firing a gun near the rec center pool while it was occupied by several people, many of them children, on a stiflingly hot afternoon.
Police issued a warrant for Kiah’s arrest Friday afternoon, and he has been charged with 13 counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and related offenses. As of Saturday afternoon, he was being held at the detention unit in Police Headquarters, said Jasmine Colón-Reilly, a police spokesperson.
Earlier Friday, police had released surveillance footage and asked for the public’s help in identifying four people who they say were involved in the shooting. The four, including one carrying a black duffel bag and another carrying a dark-colored backpack, are seen walking down 56th Street and crossing Christian Street, heading toward the rec center. Other footage from other views shows them running from the area.
None of the other three people in the video have been arrested, and no warrants had been issued for them as of Saturday afternoon, Colón-Reilly said.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said there had been a fight earlier in the day at the rec center that was broken up by staff and a police officer. Some of those involved in the fight returned to the area just after 4 p.m. and started shooting at people on 56th Street, not at people in the pool, Bethel said.
Police have not identified the others being sought.
The gunfire left the 10- and 11-year-old, along with a 32-year-old rec center employee, with graze wounds, and two 16-year-olds shot, one in the face and the other in the hip. Colón-Reilly said Saturday afternoon the teen shot in the face remained in critical condition.
The shooting, which drew condemnation from the mayor and police commissioner, was the third city shooting in less than a week with four or more victims that included children.
The rec center was to remain closed the rest of the week. The pool was reopened Saturday, Colón-Reilly said.