PHILADELPHIA, PA – Attorney General Michelle Henry, in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department, announced the arrest of three men involved in three homicides and another shooting that left a victim paralyzed. The incidents occurred in 2021 and 2022, originating from a gang feud in Philadelphia.
The arrested individuals are Daquan Bishop, 26, and Chris Byard, 25, both charged with two counts of homicide for incidents in November 2021 and December 2021. Byard faces an additional homicide charge for a January 2022 shooting and an attempted murder charge for a February 2022 incident. Daquan Bethea, 25, is charged with the February 2022 shooting that resulted in a man being paralyzed from the waist down.
The collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies used grand jury proceedings, social media and cell phone analysis, and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) database to link the suspects to the shootings.
In a statement, Attorney General Henry emphasized the role of inter-agency collaboration in solving these crimes. Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford highlighted that the arrests are a significant victory for law enforcement.
Bishop and Byard are already in custody on federal firearms charges, and Bethea was arrested on September 23 with bail set at $600,000. Preliminary hearings for Bishop and Byard are set for November 8, while Bethea’s hearing is scheduled for October 12.