Arrest warrants have been issued for a teenage boy and a 22-year-old man wanted in connection with the shooting death Monday night of a young man who was gunned down within minutes after playing in a basketball game with his brother at Flanigan Park in the 700 block of Memorial Avenue, city police said.
Raymarr Daquan Alford, 17, of 1048 Hepburn St., and Qu Mar Dashon Moore, 22, of 802 Hepburn St., both allegedly pulled out handguns and fired shots at Kevan Connelly, 23, of Williamsport, about 7:15 p.m., police said.
"The two suspects and the victim knew one another. This was not random. The shooters knew who they were going after," Agent Raymond O. Kontz III said Tuesday morning.
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Alford
The two brothers were "confronted" by four men who approached them, Agent Trent R. Peacock said in an affidavit.
When Connelly and his brother attempted to leave, two of the men "pulled out handguns and began shooting," Peacock said investigators were told.
Connelly was rushed by ambulance to the Williamsport Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room about 7:40 p.m., Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said.
Connelly, who never regained consciousness, died of a gunshot wound to the chest, Peacock said.
Alford and Moore face homicide-related charges. Both are from New Jersey, Kontz said. Connelly moved here from Philadelphia about two years ago, Kontz added. His brother moved here to join him about "eight or nine months ago. They moved here to get away from Philadelphia," Kontz said.
Due to the sensitivity of the investigation and the fact that the gunmen remained at large, police are not disclosing any information about the victim's brother.
Kontz and city Police Chief Gregory Foresman would not comment on the motive for the shooting that occurred while more than 100 spectators were at the park watching basketball games.
"There was kind of a tournament going on at the time. There was some basketball teams, many adults and youth on the basketball courts. Off to the side of the courts, I guess there was an altercation going on and this is what sparked the shooting," Foresman said.
"There definitely were several shots fired," Foresman said, adding that Connelly was unarmed.
The two gunmen were last seen running east from the park, police said.
Police recovered more than a half a dozen pieces of evidence, including bullet fragments and casings less than 30 feet from the park's playground.
The city's team of forensic specialists worked overnight, collecting such evidence.
Alford, who goes by the street name "Marmar," was described as 6 feet tall and weighs 155 pounds. Moore, whose street name is "Snoop," is 6-foot, 1-inch and weighs about 175 pounds.
Foresman said anyone who might know the whereabouts of either one is urged to call police at 329-4066 or 327-7560. Police took the unusual step of releasing to the media photos of Alford and Moore with the hope that someone would recognize them and help lead investigators to their capture.
"As far as we can tell, the person they allegedly shot was the one they intended to go after," Foresman said.
"Alford and Moore have ties to Elizabeth, N.J., and we believe the two may have fled there. We're sending information to police agencies in certain cities, giving them the heads up that the two just might be located in their jurisdiction," Foresman said.
Late Tuesday afternoon, someone set up on one of the basketball courts a makeshift memorial of two bright red teddy bears and flowers in memory of Connelly.
The slaying "goes to show that there is a definite need for additional type of security measures for the park," Foresman said, noting that a federal grant is funding three cameras for Flanigan Park and four for Memorial Park.
Foresman firmly believes security cameras likely will prevent such violence. He hoped the cameras will be installed in the coming months.
"The park is known by the police department and surrounding neighborhoods as an area where individuals meet and some violence takes place," Foresman said, referring to Flanigan Park.
Monday's homicide was the second fatal shooting at the park in little more than six years. Kyion Ball, 23, also known as "Shark," is serving a lengthy state prison sentence for shooting a 19-year-old man in the park in late March 2006.
