Police issue warrant for suspect in North Philadelphia rec center shooting

Philadelphia police say they have identified the man who shot a 15-year-old boy on the playground outside a North Philadelphia recreation center on Wednesday.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Djean Williams, 20, of the 1000 block of Seybert Street, who police say rode his bicycle into the playground area at Marie Dendy Recreation Center and shot the teen in the back.

Police are searching for Williams, who is wanted on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related crimes.

Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting, which happened shortly before 4:15 p.m. Wednesday. A gun was recovered at the scene.

The teen, whom police have not identified, was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He is in critical, but stable condition, police said.

Surveillance footage from newly installed security cameras outside the center helped lead investigators to Williams, police said.

A week before the shooting, city officials held a media event at the center, near North 10th and West Jefferson Streets, to announce the installation of 100 cameras at rec centers across the city, including 11 at Marie Dendy. The initiative was intended to create what officials called “Safe Play Zones.”

Wednesday’s shooting was not the first at the recreation center. In May 2021, a 19-year-old woman was also shot at the playground. She survived, but police have made no arrests in connection with the shooting.

Nearly 300 incidents of gun violence have occurred around recreation centers and playgrounds since 2019, according to the Parks and Recreation Department.

On Friday afternoon, city and state officials announced a partnership to bring trauma-informed therapy and workshops to six rec centers and 12 summer camps in some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods. The Center for Families and Relationships, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit outpatient mental health provider, will be using a $999,000 violence reduction grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to provide therapy at rec centers and camps over the next two years.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell said Friday that no additional security measures were planned and that she was not concerned about residents being reluctant to take part in the program because of the recent shooting.

“I think after an incident happens there is some concern in the community and you do see a pullback from people using the facilities for a time,” she said. “But that goes away very quickly.”

Staff writer Abraham Gutman contributed to this article.