Security at the Lycoming County Courthouse was tight Monday as Braheem Connelly, the brother of the man who was shot and killed the evening of July 9 at Flanigan Park, pointed out the two men who allegedly did the shooting.
Connelly testified Monday during a preliminary hearing before District Judge Allen P. Page III that was moved to a larger courtroom in the building's second floor to accommodate a large turnout of both victim and defendant supporters.
Shooting suspects Raymarr Daquan Alford, 18, and Qu Mar Dashon Moore, 22, were apprehended by Philadelphia police Sept. 19 after allegedly fleeing the city following the shooting.
The two were identified by Connelly as the pair who pulled handguns from their waistbands on the park's basketball court and allegedly fired shots at him and his brother, Kevan Connelly, who died from gunshot wounds to the chest, according to police.
Braheem was not hit in the gunfire.
Alford, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, and Moore are charged with homicide and conspiracy homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and carrying a firearm without a license.
A large number of sheriff's deputies and several local state constables were used to bolster security and provide a buffer between factions. An additional metal detector and screening station was set up just outside the courtroom door.
One man had to be removed by deputies for continued verbal outbursts as Page warned spectators several times to keep their emotions in check.
Connelly said he and his brother got into an argument with Alford, Moore and a few other people on High Street two days before the shooting. He said the disagreement centered around a female that he and Alford both knew.
Connelly said it was shortly after 7 p.m. on July 9 when he and his brother were approached by a group of men, which also included Alford and Moore.
He said they became aware the two were carrying guns.
"They tried to show them off," Braheem said, adding the two lifted their shirts and pointed to their waistbands.
Within 40 seconds of approaching the brothers, Connelly said Alford fired three to four shots from about 10 feet away. Moore followed with another two to three shots, he said.
"Kevan ran off. I seen the blood. I seen him. He fell. I just waited for the ambulance; it took all day," Braheem said.
Connelly said he didn't know why he wasn't struck with bullets.
"I looked at my brother and I seen them run," he said of Alford and Moore.
Moore's attorney, Lycoming County Chief Public Defender William Miele, asked Connelly why he didn't immediately identify any suspects from the photo array provided by police after the shooting.
"I could, I just didn't want to tell the cops," he answered. "I didn't trust them. They lied to me all day."
Connelly said police told him Kevan was doing OK, but he knew otherwise, he said.
After police told him his brother died, however, Connelly identified Alford from the photo lineup and told them about Moore.
An autopsy report provided as an exhibit by the Lycoming County District Attorney's office listed Kevan Connelly's death as a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Page found enough evidence to hold the defendants on their charges. Alford and Moore have been incarcerated in the Lycoming County Prison without bail since their arrest.
Arraignments have been scheduled for Dec. 3 for Alford and Dec. 10 for Moore.
