The man who allegedly shot a 12-year-old girl on Memorial Day is now in police custody. Investigators say Vernon Smith, 23, turned himself in Wednesday morning.
On May 25, around 3 p.m., shots rang out on the 900 block of Forrester Avenue. Police say Tathiana Diggs, 12, was going inside her grandfather's van when an argument between several people led to someone opening fire. Diggs was struck in the hip.
"She was crying because she felt the sting of the bullet," said Leslie Baker, the girl's grandfather. "She was wondering why she was hurting all of a sudden."
Diggs was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where she underwent emergency surgery. She is currently staying with out of state relatives as she continues to recover.
Police took Joshua Singleton, 22, and Lynnette Crawford, 35, who live together on the 900 block of Forrester into custody on drug charges later that night. Police executed a search warrant and recovered evidence from their home.
Police say that Singleton got into an argument over drugs leading to Vernon Smith opening fire. Police identified Smith as the shooter and began searching the area for him, according to investigators.
Investigators say Smith turned himself in some time between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Wednesday. He is charged with attempted murder and other related offenses. He is currently in jail after failing to post $500,000 bail.
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