Shakya El. PHOTO PROVIDED

Several minutes before Philadelphia resident Amir Nobles was gunned down in an SUV in the parking lot of the Bridge Street Commons at 326 Bridge St., Williamsport during the early morning hours of April 6, 2020, he exchanged dozens of text messages with a woman who set him up to be killed, city police alleged Tuesday night in a news release.

Shakya El, 21, of Philadelphia, was brought back here from Lancaster County to face a felony charge of conspiracy to murder and three additional charges in connection with the slaying of the 27-year-old Nobles.

“El communicated with Nobles for several minutes via cellphone leading up to Nobles’ homicide,” investigators said. The two exchanged 42 text messages, including one from El requesting Nobles to pick her up at the commons, investigators said. When Nobles arrived, “El stopped communicating with him. Nobles was then shot in his vehicle, police said. “Forensic evidence recovered at the scene showed that Nobles’ vehicle was fired upon by two gunmen ultimately striking and killing him,” police said. Nobles, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was shot about 3:20 a.m., police said. Residents of the 10-unit commons reported hearing anywhere from five to 10 shots.

One resident told a reporter at the scene “I thought there were two different guns (involved).”

“Based on the conversation between El and Nobles immediately prior to the shooting, it was apparent to investigators that El lured him to Bridge Street to be shot,” police alleged. El, who also has been charged with aggravated assault and illegal use of a cellphone, was arraigned before District Judge Aaron Biichle and committed to the Lycoming County Prison on no bail.

CIty police said shortly after they filed the arrest warrant for El on Tuesday, state police in Lancaster just happened to be fingerprinting her for another criminal case. She was then detained and returned here.