Two teens were arrested and charged in the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed while taking water into his home earlier this year.
Daniel Gardee, 17, surrendered to police on Wednesday. He was arraigned on murder, conspiracy and other related charges for his role in the deadly shooting of Sean Toomey back on March 24.
A second suspect, 17-year-old Saahir Teagle, is currently in custody in Camden County, New Jersey, and under court supervision. He is awaiting transport back to Philadelphia where he'll be arraigned on murder and other related charges.
On March 24 around 9 p.m., a woman told police three young men tried to rob her while she was using an ATM at the Citizen's Bank at Frankford and Robbins streets. The woman said one of the young men had a gun. The woman ran back to her car where a friend was waiting and called 911. She described the three young men to police and told them they walked off eastbound to the alleyway behind the bank.
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That same night, another woman at an apartment complex on the 4000 block of Devereaux Street reported seeing two teens trying to enter her car. She called her boyfriend to come outside. The woman's boyfriend went to the end of the parking lot to look for the teens when they heard gunshots. The couple then went back inside their apartment. The couple then spoke with responding police officers.
Police then responded to a radio call that night along the 6200 block of Mulberry Street where they found Toomey on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Family members said the teen had gone outside to get a case of water from their car when he was shot in the head.
Toomey was taken to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital where he later died from his injuries.
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Investigators recovered four 9mm fire cartridge casings from the scene but no weapons.
On March 29, Gardee was arrested by Miami Beach Police for an unrelated incident and charged with battery and disturbing the peace. At the time, he had not been identified as a suspect for the incidents in Philadelphia.
On April 14, Philadelphia Police responded to an incident at an Airbnb along the 1200 block of Newkirk Street where they found several guns. Gardee and Teagle were both taken into custody in relation to that incident. Teagle was charged with illegal firearm possession. He also was not considered a suspect in the March incidents at the time.
On June 9, a man was arrested by ATF agents along the 1800 block of Pratt Street for carjacking and other related offenses. That man allegedly told police that he and two friends tried to rob the woman at the Citizens Bank ATM back on March 24. The man provided information about the attempted robbery as well as the April 14 Airbnb incident that helped investigators connect Gardee and Teagle's alleged roles in Toomey's murder. Investigators don't believe the third man was involved in Toomey's death however.
Finally, on June 13, the District Attorney's Office approved charges against Teagle and Gardee for Toomey's murder on March 24.
"Sean Toomey was a child full of promise and hope, like all children," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "The great potential he held was extinguished in a snap by strangers with firearms. Sean Toomey should be alive today and looking forward to the rest of his life. To those who knew and loved him: The loss of Sean's life is a grave injustice, and we are heartbroken and outraged by his death."
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
