Murder charge for wanted man

Few criminals in this city have left a trail of blood in their wake quite like Andrew Poole has this year, cops say.

In February, Poole was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license.

He was sentenced on Sept. 12 to three months' probation, according to court records.

Two weeks after his sentencing, police issued a warrant for Poole's arrest after cops said he opened fire at a West Philadelphia playground, wounding an 18-month-old boy and a 31-year-old man multiple times.

Poole, 22, added to his rap sheet again last week, when police said he shot and killed Tremaine Walker, 30, in West Philadephia.

Investigators issued another arrest warrant for him yesterday - this time on murder charges.

Detectives searched without luck for Poole in the West Philadelphia neighborhood he usually calls home.

Investigators believe he could be hiding out in the area of 61st and Oxford streets, said Homicide Lt. Mel Williams.

"We think he's probably still around there and still armed," Williams said.

Poole shot Walker multiple times in that same neighborhood at about 5 p.m. on Nov. 11, Williams said.

Walker, who investigators said was a "good guy," died at the scene.

"Poole thought the decedent may have snitched on him on the previous shooting, but he didn't," Williams said of Poole's possible motive.

Poole's previous alleged victims were lucky to survive.

On Sept. 24, police say, Poole got into an argument with Carl Wallace at the E.R. Tustin Playground near 60th Street and Columbia Avenue.

Police said the dispute ended when Poole pulled out a handgun and started blasting away. Wallace was hit multiple times in the chest and back but lived.

Eighteen-month-old Mehkee Gatewood, who was sitting nearby in his stroller, caught two stray slugs in his foot and elbow.

He also survived.

Poole still faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and related offenses for his alleged role in the playground shootings.

In addition to getting busted earlier this year on gun charges, Poole had two other scrapes with the law.

He was arrested twice in 2006 - once on drug-possesion charges, which were later dismissed, and then on a charge of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

The latter case has yet to be resolved. *