Philadelphia police are seeking assistance to locate a man accused of committing a brazen robbery and shooting that placed one victim in critical condition. The violent incident took place inside a Kensington convenience store in the early hours of July 12, 2024, where police allege the suspect, armed and dangerous, executed the crime.
The confrontation, caught on surveillance video, occurred around 2:30 a.m. at a convenience store on Kensington Avenue, near Clearfield Street, according to FOX 29. It shows the suspect arriving on a blue Trek bicycle, and while inside the store, pointing a gun at a 31-year-old man's head as he sat in front of a gambling machine, and forcibly taking his strapped bag.
Officials stated that following the robbery, the victim took the perilous step of confronting the gunman outside the business, and during that confrontation, was shot in the neck, as reported by NBC Philadelphia. The victim was then rushed to a hospital and remains in a critical state.
The suspect is still at large and has been described by police as a man wearing a black mask and a black hooded sweatshirt with the word 'Big' on the upper right chest. He was last seen fleeing the scene on a blue and silver 'Trek' mountain bike. In a safety warning to the public, police advise that anyone who spots the individual shown in the video should not approach him but should instead contact 911 immediately, as noted by KYW Newsradio.
Investigators have released the video footage in hopes that someone might recognize the suspect and provide information leading to an arrest. Philly law enforcement emphasizes the importance of community assistance in such cases and urges anyone with knowledge regarding the incident to step forward. The police have not yet identified a clear motive for why the assaililde, after robbing the victim, chose to escalate the crime to violence.
