Guilty verdict in 2012 fatal shooting in Walgreens lot

A JURY YESTERDAY convicted a 25-year-old South Philly man of first-degree murder and related offenses in the 2012 shooting death of another man in a Walgreens parking lot in front of the victim's 5-year-old son.

Jahmir Harris was then sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi to a mandatory term of life in prison.

Harris chose not to say anything to the judge before he was sentenced.

The jury found that about 8:15 p.m. Dec. 23, 2012, Harris was the gunman who exited the driver's side of a car in the Walgreens parking lot on Oregon Avenue near 23rd Street and unleashed 17 shots toward Louis Porter, 45, who had just parked his car in the lot and exited his vehicle.

After the shooting, Porter's 5-year-old son was heard screaming, "My dad! My dad!" in the parking lot by a security guard.

Assistant District Attorney Erin Boyle said in her closing argument Friday that evidence showed that Porter, a barber, had earlier on the day of the shooting told Harris' mother that Harris owed him $3,900 over a transaction involving pills.

A key witness in the case, Michele Markey, identified Harris as the shooter. Markey, then 22, had just parked in the Walgreens lot that night and gotten out of her car when the shooting happened. She then quickly got back into her car.

Defense attorney Brian McMonagle contended that this was a case of mistaken identity, and said Markey couldn't have clearly seen the shooter.

Three of Harris' family members testified he is lefthanded. A video of the shooting showed the gunman first firing with both hands, walking backward to his car, dropping his left hand and firing with his right.

Boyle contended the gunman continued shooting with his right hand so he could easily close his opened car door with his left.

After the verdict, Boyle said: "It took a lot of courage for Michele Markey to come forward. Due to her bravery, the family of Mr. Porter has justice for their loved one."