Man and woman killed in ‘execution-style’ Fairmount Park shooting are identified

A man and woman were shot to death in East Fairmount Park late Thursday night, according to police.

Police were called just before 11 p.m. when someone reported finding a dead body on the 3800 block of Mount Pleasant Drive, half a block from the historic Mount Pleasant Mansion, which has been closed to the public since 2023.

Police identified the two victims as Thurston Cooper, 49, of the 1500 block of Chew Avenue, and Krystina Chambers, 38, of the 500 block of Devereaux Avenue, said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.

Once they arrived, officers found Chambers with gunshot wounds to the head and chest lying next to Cooper, who had a gunshot wound to the head. Both were unresponsive and pronounced dead at 11:12 p.m., said police.

“At this point it appears they were both shot and killed execution style,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters, citing the victims’ head wounds and close proximity.

Officers also found three shell casings next to the bodies, police said, and the weapon was likely a handgun. Police believe the two were killed at the spot where they were found due to the shell casings being found nearby, said Vanore.

A motive has yet to be determined, and no suspects have been identified. Police are planning to review the mansion’s surveillance footage.

There have been 43 shooting deaths in Philadelphia thus far in 2024, according to data from the police and Office of the Controller, a 32% decrease from this time in 2023.

Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or dial 911. There is a $40,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, police said.