Police are searching for a third teen suspect in the Dilworth Park shooting that injured three
There is an active arrest warrant for Raheem Hylton, of Philadelphia, on charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy, and related crimes.
Police are searching for a 16-year-old boy they say was involved in the shooting at Dilworth Park that wounded three teens, including one who is still in critical condition, and sent the bustling Christmas Village into chaos during the busy holiday season.
There is an active arrest warrant for Raheem Hylton of Philadelphia on charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy, and related crimes, in connection with the triple shooting near the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink on Dec. 13, police said. Police asked the public for help in finding Hylton, whose last known address is on the 1200 block of Levick Street and who is considered armed and dangerous.
Police served search and arrest warrants at Hylton’s last listed home Wednesday morning, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore, but he was not found and appears to be trying to elude capture. Hylton, who police do not believe is the shooter, is listed as a runaway. Police initially said that Hylton was 14 years old.
Police are still searching for the shooter, whom they have not yet identified, Vanore said.
Gunfire broke out at the Christmas Village at City Hall, next to the rink, shortly after 4:30 p.m., as shoppers visited the kiosks and people glided across the ice rink last Friday.
What started as a disagreement between teens at Freire Charter School at 20th and Chestnut Streets earlier in the day erupted into gunfire when one of the teens pulled out a gun and fired four or five shots, police said.
The gunfire hit a 14-year-old boy in the face, and he remained in critical condition. Two other boys, 14 and 15, were shot in the legs and were in stable condition.
The fight started when one 14-year-old victim defended his younger brother, who was getting picked on, police said. The boy who was shot in the face has undergone multiple surgeries and might have lost one of his eyes, police said.
The shooting at the popular holiday shopping venue, right in front of City Hall, during its busiest season has left residents shaken.
In the days since, city leaders have reassured area residents that the area is safe for shopping and visiting. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, at a news conference Monday, vowed to empower police with whatever they needed to hold those responsible for the shooting accountable.
The shooting was an “isolated incident,” said Prema Katari Gupta, president and CEO of the Center City District. The park has more than 30 cameras and dozens of security personnel patrolling the grounds, she said.
The announcement of the search for Hylton comes the day after police arrested a 14-year-old they say was involved in the shooting. Police served search and arrest warrants Wednesday morning at the teen’s home and he was also charged with aggravated assault and related crimes.
A different 14-year-old boy was arrested the day of the shooting and charged with aggravated assault and related crimes in connection with the incident.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the department’s shooting investigations group at 215-686-8270 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-8477.