2 Suspects Arrested in South Street Mass Shooting

Two people are in custody in connection to the mass shooting that killed three people and wounded 11 others on South Street in Philadelphia over the weekend.

Quran Garner, 18, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers.

Police and U.S. Marshals also arrested a second suspect in the shooting, 34-year-old Rashaan Vereen, Monday around 7:30 p.m. along the 2300 block of Hemberger Street. Vereen is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy, violation of the uniforms firearms act, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering of evidence and obstruction of justice.

Neighbors told NBC10 Vereen is a youth boxing coach and described him as “friendly” and “helpful.”

Vereen and his friend, 34-year-old Gregory Jackson, were walking along the 400 block of South Street on Saturday around 11:30 p.m. when they walked by another man, identified by officials as Micah Towns.

Investigators said words were exchanged between the two men. Jackson and Vereen then attacked Towns in a confrontation that was caught on video, according to officials.

Jackson, who had a permit to carry, then pulled out a gun and fired at Towns, investigators said. Towns, who also has a permit to carry, pulled out his own weapon and fired back, shooting Jackson. Between the two men, 17 shots were fired, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

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At the same time, police said Quran Garner, a friend of Towns, was walking nearby on South Street. Garner allegedly pulled out his own weapon and fired toward Jackson. Garner then turned and aimed at police, investigators said. An officer then fired and shot Garner in the hand. Garner then ran down American Street, shouting, “He shot my hand off! He shot my hand off,” investigators said.

Jackson died from his injuries while Towns was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where he is in critical condition.

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Besides Jackson, two other people, who police say were innocent bystanders, were killed during the shootings on South Street, including Kris Minners, a 22-year-old advisor for 2nd and 6th grade boys at Girard College, one of Philadelphia’s oldest educational institutions.

Minners had been celebrating his birthday with family and friends on South Street prior to the shooting, according to Girard College’s Interim President James Turner. Alexis Quinn, 27, was the third person killed in the shooting.

Eleven people were also wounded by the dozens of rounds of bullets sprayed into a massive crowd gathered near 2nd and 3rd streets in the area popular for its bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

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