4 killed over Labor Day weekend
Four people were killed over the Labor Day weekend, and police identified a 78-year-old man who was killed outside a Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Friday.
Four people were killed over the Labor Day weekend, and police identified a 78-year-old man who was killed outside a Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Friday.
Enor Williams was standing on the porch of VFW Post 6700, on 33rd Street near Diamond, when a group of unknown men approached, got into an argument with him and shot him once in the face about 6:11 p.m. Friday, police said yesterday.
Williams, of 11th Street near Medary Avenue, in Fern Rock, was pronounced dead a half-hour later at Temple University Hospital, Officer Jillian Russell, a police spokeswoman, said.
James Collier, 43, a friend of Williams' through their church, Ward AME, at 43rd and Aspen streets, said yesterday that Williams was a veteran and was at the VFW Post seeking other veterans for an annual service that the church holds around Veterans Day.
Williams was "very loving, a kind person who reached out to others," Collier said.
Leon Roberts, the commander of VFW Post 6700, said yesterday that Williams, who was not a member of the post, had stopped by to talk to him that day about a benefit for veterans. Williams was standing on the porch having a friendly chat with another man before the shooting, Roberts said.
Roberts said that he didn't know Williams, but had just gotten the chance to shake Williams' hand when he was called back inside to take a phone call.
"Before I could get to talk to him, he was shot," Roberts said.
"This was senseless," he said. "I just couldn't understand it."
Police yesterday said that a group of men approached Williams while he was on the porch, then got into an argument and struggled with him before the shooting. Police did not have any suspects yesterday, and a motive was unknown.
Also on Friday, Troy DeLoatch, 22, was shot multiple times on Lycoming Street near 5th, Hunting Park, at 11:53 p.m., police said.
DeLoatch was pronounced dead at 12:16 a.m. Saturday at Temple University Hospital.
Two other men were slain Saturday. At 5:08 a.m., Thomas Cherry, 41, was shot once in the back on 62nd Street near Cedar Avenue, West Philadelphia. Cherry, of Allengrove Street near Castor Avenue, Frankford, was pronounced dead shortly afterward at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Officer Russell said.
At 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Donte Benjamin, 23, was shot multiple times on Simpson Street near Greenway Avenue, in Southwest Philadelphia. Benjamin, of Anchor Street near Tabor Avenue, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:25 p.m., Russell said.
About 1:44 a.m. Sunday, Bruce Lassiter, 19, was shot multiple times outside Minnows Bar, at Bridge and Jackson streets, in Frankford.
Russell said that there was a large fight outside the bar when Lassiter, who lived on Ditman Street near Bridge, about three blocks from the bar, was shot.
Lassiter was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital at 2:16 a.m. Sunday. *
