Prosecutors say the defendants are connected to more than 35 shootings and five homicides across South and Southwest Philadelphia between 2022 and 2024.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the indictment of 17 defendants in connection with a violent series of shootings that spanned more than 18 months and left five people dead and dozens injured. The announcement came after the 33rd Philadelphia County Investigating Grand Jury issued findings linking members of three street groups to a coordinated pattern of retaliatory gun violence.
Key Points
- 17 people charged in a multi-year shooting investigation across West, South, and Southwest Philadelphia
- Five homicides and 35 total victims, including an eight-year-old child, tied to the defendants
- Ballistics, video evidence, and witness statements connected the crimes to three local street groups
Gun Violence Task Force leads sweeping investigation
According to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the grand jury found that the defendants were involved in at least 16 shootings between September 2022 and May 2024. The shootings resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, including a December 2023 homicide at 29th and Clearfield Streets and a double shooting in 2022 where an eight-year-old was struck by a stray bullet.
Investigators linked the incidents to three violent street groups: “Young Bag Chasers” (YBC), “Campers Campers Klapperz” (CCK), and “Parkside Killers” (PSK). Nine defendants were identified as YBC members, six as part of CCK, and two connected to PSK.
Ballistics experts matched shell casings across multiple crime scenes, while surveillance footage and digital forensics from nearby businesses and city cameras supported the charges.
Charges include murder, conspiracy, and aggravated assault
Those charged include:
- Murder and related offenses: Anthony Woodson, Ronnie Vincent-Quan, Herman Stigall, Markees Muhammad, Stephen Weddington, Jymir Burbage, Hasin Muse, and Hamzah Curry
- Attempted murder: Mark Johnson and Kasim Brown
- Aggravated assault: Salahuddin Carter, Jerwayne Haywood, Quamere Hall, Hassan Stafford, Paul Beckwith, and Nasir Wells
- Criminal conspiracy to commit murder: Tatiana Edwards
Two additional individuals remain under investigation.
Officials cite collaboration across agencies
“This operation shows what’s possible when local and federal partners work together to dismantle violent groups that plague our neighborhoods,” said ADA William Fritze, chief of the DAO’s Gun Violence Task Force. He credited witness cooperation and forensic technology with helping investigators piece together the sprawling case.
Captain James Kearney of the Philadelphia Police Shooting Investigations Group praised the joint effort with the District Attorney’s Office, saying the arrests demonstrate “how collaboration can directly improve community safety.”
The defendants now face a range of felony charges in connection with what officials described as one of the city’s most extensive gun violence investigations in recent years.
Tags: Philadelphia, gun violence, grand jury