A Philadelphia gunman, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, has been charged with the murder of five individuals during a series of mass shootings that occurred over the Fourth of July weekend, Your Content has learned.
Law enforcement authorities disclosed on Wednesday that the suspect had posted “disturbing messages” on social media prior to carrying out the violent spree, which seemed to be random in nature.
Carriker appeared in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for arraignment on Wednesday, facing five counts of murder and various additional charges related to the rampage that transpired on Monday evening.
In addition to the five fatalities, two children sustained injuries in the attack, contributing to a string of mass shootings that tainted the holiday weekend and underscored the prevalence of gun violence in the United States.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a total of 16 mass shootings occurred across the country from Friday evening until Wednesday morning, resulting in 15 deaths and 94 injuries.
The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more individuals, excluding the perpetrator, are either wounded or killed.
Authorities in Philadelphia are still investigating the motive behind the shooting. During a briefing on Wednesday, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal revealed that the focus was on “disturbing” posts discovered on the suspect’s social media accounts.
However, the exact content of these posts and the contents of a will dated June 23, also found during the investigation, have not been disclosed by officials.
Sheriff Bilal urged the public to promptly report any extreme or threatening posts on social media platforms.
“It is our collective responsibility not to remain silent when we encounter such individuals who pose a danger to us, our communities, and our children,” she emphasized.
During the shooting, Carriker was observed wearing a bullet-proof vest and a ski mask.
Officials stated that he had no apparent connection to any of the victims and seemed to target them at random before eventually being apprehended.
District Attorney Larry Krasner revealed that the suspect may have obtained at least one of his weapons illegally, while also carrying a handgun during the attack.
Krasner expressed his dismay, stating, “We’re discussing completely innocent bystanders who were in no way responsible for the risk they found themselves in, and now they have suffered this horrific outcome.”
The police have identified the five male victims as Lashyd Merritt, 20, Dymir Stanton, 29, Ralph Moralis, Daujan Brown, 15, and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31.
Two children, aged two and 13, were also wounded during the incident.
Josephine, the twin sister of Joseph Wamah, emotionally shared her disbelief and grief during a news conference on Wednesday, saying, “It’s difficult to comprehend.
I don’t understand how someone could do that to my brother. He was like a second father to me. He possessed beauty both inside and out “, according to Reuters.