Philadelphia mass shooting suspect is headed to trial after mental health treatment
PHILADELPHIA — The suspect in last summer’s mass shooting in Philadelphia, who was deemed mentally incompetent, is facing trial after his lawyers told a judge he is undergoing treatment and is willing to move forward with the case.
Kimbrady Carriker, 41, is charged with five counts of murder, as well as attempted murder, aggravated assault and illegal possession of a weapon in the apparently random shootings in early July in the working-class Kingsessing neighborhood.
During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, detectives played footage from an officer’s body-worn camera, which showed Carriker walking about a mile during most of the July 3 shootings. Assistant District Attorney Robert Wainwright said investigators are still trying to determine what caused him to be shot. some people do and some don’t, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Officers “ran toward the danger with no regard for their own safety, and just tried to do everything they could to stop this man from killing any more people,” Wainwright said.
Carriker’s lawyers told the court their client is undergoing mental health treatment and is prepared to move forward with the case. The municipal court judge transferred the charges to district court for trial.
Prosecutors have said Carriker left a will dated June 23 at his home and a roommate said he seemed agitated and had been wearing a tactical vest around the house in the days before the shooting that killed 20-year-old Lashyd Merritt, 29. was killed. old Dymire Stanton, 59-year-old Ralph Moralis and 15-year-old DaJuan Brown.
A fifth shooting victim, Joseph Wamah, 31, was found shot dead in Kingsessing a day earlier.
A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old youth were injured by gunfire and another 2-year-old boy and a woman were injured by broken glass during the shootings.
Philadelphia police have said Carriker was wearing a ski mask and carrying an AR-15-style rifle when he shot people and cars. When he surrendered in an alley, police discovered he had two guns, extra magazines and a bulletproof vest.