Philadelphia police

Arrest Made in Killing of Electrician Just Days Before His 28th Birthday

The victim was picking up food was he was shot & killed

Philadelphia Police arrested the man who they say shot and killed an electrician just days before his 28th birthday.

Police wouldn’t immediately confirm the identity of the accused gunman but they told NBC10 that they were looking for no other suspects in the Aug. 15 killing of Paul McKernan in the city’s Overbrook section. Officers arrested the suspect Saturday night, according to court records.

McKernan, who hailed from Northeast Philly, died at the hospital less than 30 minutes after he was shot in the throat on the 5500 block of Lansdowne Avenue, according to officials.

"It feels like my heart was ripped out of my chest," said the victim's uncle, Tim McKernan, who helped raise him.

Paul had just exited Lucky Garden where he purchased a few snacks, according to the restaurant's manager. Moments after leaving the restaurant, Paul and another man got into a confrontation, according to officials.

Paul walked away, but the man followed him, pulled a gun and pulled the trigger, according to investigators.

"Paul was a sensitive, caring and strong person," Tim said. "I just don't see how this person could just do what he did to my nephew."

Family and friends laid McKernan to rest last Friday.

Surveillance video from Lucky Garden captured Paul's final moments, but didn't show the shooter.

Police said they pulled footage captured by cameras at other nearby shops and reviewed it as part of their investigation. They didn't reveal if that video helped lead them to an arrest. 

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