Philadelphia police have arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the mass shooting that devastated South Philadelphia in early July, leaving three people dead and nine others injured. On Friday, September 19, detectives, along with members of the SWAT unit, executed a search warrant at a home on the 1500 block of South 25th Street. Inside, they found 17-year-old Brandon Fischer, who was taken into custody and transported to the homicide unit. Investigators said Fischer will face charges including murder, attempted murder, violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, and other related offenses.
His arrest adds to a growing list of suspects charged in the deadly events of July 7. Earlier in August, police arrested 22-year-old Terrell Frazier as the first suspect in the case. Days later, on August 12, 21-year-old Daquan Brown was arrested, followed by 35-year-old Jihad Gray on August 21. When Gray was taken into custody, investigators recovered two handguns and a rifle. Each of the men has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and multiple gun-related offenses. Police have also identified 24-year-old Christopher Battle as a suspect and continue to search for him.
The timeline leading up to the violence began over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. On Saturday, July 5, around 5 p.m., between 100 and 200 people gathered on the 1500 block of South Etting Street for a party promoted on social media, according to Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. Officers were called to disperse the crowd, and tensions escalated when some partygoers jumped on police vehicles. Two people were arrested that evening for assaulting officers. The next night, on Sunday, July 6, crowds of a similar size once again gathered on the same block for another party…