An East Lansdowne man fired a rifle into his neighbor’s home, killing a woman inside, police said
Yousuf Bahal, 30, said he shot at his neighbor because he believed he had been stealing from him, according to police.
An East Lansdowne man fired an AR-15 rifle into his neighbor’s home, killing the intended target’s girlfriend, investigators said Monday.
Yousuf Bahal, 30, has been charged with murder, reckless endangerment, and related offenses. He remained in custody, denied bail.
Officers in the Delaware County town were called to a home on Penn Boulevard just before 2 p.m. Sunday for reports of gunfire, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Bahal’s arrest. As they approached, officers saw and heard Bahal firing at least three shots into a home on the block, the affidavit said.
Bahal stopped shooting at the officers’ command and surrendered without incident. The rifle used in the shooting is registered to Bahal, police said, and he also had a permit to carry a 9mm Glock handgun that he had in his pocket at the time of his arrest.
Inside the home Bahal had been firing into, police found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the affidavit said. A man who also lives in the apartment — later identified as the woman’s boyfriend — was home at the time and unharmed by the gunfire.
The woman was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead, according to the affidavit. Police did not identify the woman or her boyfriend.
In an interview with detectives, Bahal admitted to shooting at a figure through a window at least three times, believing it to be his neighbor, the affidavit said. Bahal said he targeted his neighbor because he had been “sneaking into [Bahal’s] house and stealing things” as well as blowing smoke into his home through his air conditioner.