Frankford man shot in front of family

A gunman fatally shot a Frankford man Thursday night, sending the victim's wife and children running inside their home for safety, authorities said.

Richard Pearson, 40, and his family were returning from dinner about 11:30 p.m. when the killer approached him as he remained in his car in the 1100 block of Overington Street, said homicide Capt. James Clark.

Clark said the gunman, and possibly two others, had a brief argument that Pearson's family overheard before Pearson was shot in the chest.

"They were walking into the house," Clark said of Pearson's wife and three stepchildren. "They heard arguing and [his wife] sensed there was going to be a problem."

The men fled after the shooting, and other family members were not harmed. Medics pronounced Pearson dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives are seeking a motive. Clark said detectives were trying to determine whether the murder might be related to drug activity.

Neighbor Walter Novick, 78, said Pearson and his family had recently moved to the tree-lined block of rowhomes.

Novick said he and his wife, Eleanor, were getting ready for bed when she heard two loud noises and knew right away they were not thunder.

"My wife heard bang, bang," said Novick.

He said he looked out the window and saw the victim's oldest child, a son in his late teens, pulling his mother away from the car, but nothing else.

"I can't believe it," Novick said. "Why should this be happening?"

Novick said the victim "seemed to be nice enough."

"He's always been courteous to me, not that we passed the time of day a lot," he said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to call police at 215-686-3334.