The man responsible for the mass shooting in Kingsessing that claimed the life of 5 adults and injured three children, has been arrested and arraigned on five murder counts.

Philadelphia police identified 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker as the man responsible for the mass shooting. Carriker has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, violations of the uniform firearms act, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.

The chaos all started at 8:30 p.m. on July 3 when Carriker armed with a bulletproof vest and an “AR-type rifle” opened fire at random, near the area of 56th and Chester Avenue.

Six gunshot victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital, where 20-year-old Lashyd Merritt, 29-year-old Dymir Stanton, 59-year-old Ralph Moralis, 15-year-old Daujan Brown, and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah Jr., were later pronounced dead.

During the shooting a set of 2-year-old boy twins, a 13-year-old boy, and a 33-year-old female were also injured. One of the 2-year-old boys and the 13-year-boy sustained four gunshot wounds and two gunshot wounds to the legs, respectfully. The second twin boy and 33-year-old female sustained injuries from shattered glass amidst the gunfire. All are currently recovering in the hospital in stable condition.

As shot began ringing out witnesses called 911 and began flagging down nearby officers. As officers began providing aid and attending to the injured victims, officers heard more gunshots and began chasing the Carriker as he continued to fire.

According to Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, police caught Carriker and he was arrested in the rear alley on the 1600 block of Frazier Street after surrendering.
He had a bulletproof vest, an “AR-type rifle,” multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, said Outlaw.

Throughout the eight-block-wide area of the shooting, police found over 50 shell casings and are working to identify witnesses, find cameras, and figure out why the shooting happened, revealed Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

“Let me crystal clear, what happened last night in our Kingsessing neighborhood was unimaginably disgusting, and horrifying. On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual reeked havoc firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random”, said Commissioner Outlaw during an afternoon press conference on Tuesday.

Philadelphia Mayor Kenney posted a tweet, saying “My sincere thanks to Philly Police for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect. This devasting violence must stop.”

According to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University, this shooting marks the country’s 29th mass killing in 2023, which is the highest on record by this point in the year.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President, Jerry Jordan, released a statement saying, “Again and again, the devastation wrought by the scourge of gun violence continues to rip families apart and leave communities shattered. My heart breaks for the five individuals whose lives were stolen from them in the mass shooting in Kingsessing this evening, and for their families and loved ones whose lives will never be the same. And I am so sorry for the five individuals wounded in this deadly mass shooting. Their lives, too, will be forever impacted by this devastating tragedy.”, Jordan said.

“The impact of tonight’s mass shooting is immeasurable. My deep condolences are too frequent and wholly insufficient. Tonight, I am holding all impacted by this horror in my heart. This level of profound loss is too much to bear, and it cannot go on. In this moment of deep sadness, our union remains committed to the fight for meaningful action to end the crisis of gun violence. “, he continued

Police are still investigating the connection between the victims and the shooter, “At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,” Outlaw said.

If you have any information about the suspects or the victims, call 911.

At 1 p.m., Philadelphia officials, victim support group members, religious leaders and community members will hold a press conference to discuss the District Attorney office’s response to the shooting. 

You can watch the full news conference on PHL17 in the video player above.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.