Shooting of Philly couple was likely retribution for earlier killing, sources say

The gunfire that killed a North Philadelphia woman and wounded her husband as the couple sat on their porch Sunday night may have been an act of retaliation for an earlier homicide, law enforcement sources said.

Shariff Perry, who police say killed Michelle Wilson, 61, and shot her 67-year-old husband, is the brother of a man authorities say was killed by the couple’s son, Evans, in 2022, according to the sources.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the crime, but sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said retribution was the likely cause.

Surveillance video obtained from a business near Wilson’s home showed a man wearing a surgical mask and a hat approach the couple’s front porch, pull out a handgun, and open fire just before midnight. Wilson was pronounced dead moments later. Her husband survived.

On Wednesday, police identified Perry, 35, as the suspected shooter. He remained at large Thursday.

Reaching by phone, Wilson’s husband tearfully declined to be interviewed, as did his daughter.

The Wilsons’ son, Evans, is one of three people charged in the death of James Dunbar, 20, who was shot in the head on the 2800 block of North Taylor Street, less than a mile from where the Wilsons were shot, sources said.

Another man was also shot, but survived, police said.

Witnesses told detectives at the time that they heard a barrage of gunshots, then saw two armed men fleeing in a Hyundai Sonata. Detectives recovered 17 bullet casings from the scene, authorities said.

Wilson and two teenagers were charged with murder and related crimes, court records show. Wilson has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Wilson’s attorney, David Mischak, did not return a phone call on Thursday.

Dunbar’s death came during a wave of crime in the city following the pandemic.

Michelle Wilson’s killing was one of six homicides in Philadelphia between Friday morning and Sunday night, a burst of bloodshed in what has otherwise been one of the city’s least violent years in decades.

Hours before her death, Wilson’s family had gathered for a Sunday afternoon barbecue, with children and relatives on the porch, a neighbor said. The neighbor — who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation — said the couple were “quiet” and “friendly.”

Police have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Perry’s arrest and conviction and have asked anyone with information to contact the department’s homicide unit at 215-686-3334 or its tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Staff writer Ellie Rushing contributed to this article.