West Philly man charged with murder in a double homicide in Yeadon, DA says
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer called the shooting a “brutal, cold blooded execution,” by multiple gunmen, only one of whom has been taken into custody so far.
A West Philadelphia man has been charged with murder after investigators in Delaware County said he was among a group of gunmen who ambushed an unarmed couple in Yeadon on Saturday.
Nazir Anderson, 19, faces first- and third-degree murder charges, as well as conspiracy and firearms offenses in the shooting, during which more than 60 shots were fired at the two victims, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.
He remained in custody, denied bail. There was no indication that he had hired an attorney.
Investigators believe Anderson did not act alone, and that several people attacked the couple, firing dozens of shots.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, in a statement, called the shooting a “brutal, cold-blooded execution” by multiple gunmen who continued to shoot at the victims after they had fallen to the ground.
“Law enforcement is working to bring the killers to justice, as this simply cannot happen in a peaceable community like Yeadon Borough,” Stollsteimer said.
Officers in Yeadon were dispatched to a parking lot on Church Lane near Guenther Avenue just before midnight Sunday for reports of gunfire, the affidavit said. There, the officers found a 20-year-old man and 21-year-old woman lying on the ground, shot multiple times.
They were both pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not released the victim’s names, pending family notification and the ongoing investigation of the shooting, according to a spokesperson for Stollsteimer.
While the officers were checking parked cars at the scene, they found Anderson hiding inside a Chevrolet Impala, sprawled across its rear seats, the affidavit said. He was wearing a plastic glove on one of his hands, and had a loaded 9mm handgun tucked into his waistband.
A ballistics examination later determined Anderson’s handgun had fired at least one of the bullets found at the scene, the affidavit said.
Anderson did not have a concealed-carry permit at the time of the shooting, according to the affidavit.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Delaware County Detectives at 610-891-4700.