An 18-year-old has been identified as the gunman suspected of killing an innocent bystander as he fired at a group during an apparent ambush in Montgomery County last month.
Damien Wilson is wanted for murder in the Oct. 7 killing of 47-year-old Anthony Vitelli, who was struck while walking in the parking lot of the Jefferson Court Apartments while Wilson was trying to shoot someone else, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Thursday. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
Investigators believe Wilson was trying to shoot a man as a form of retaliation after the man told detectives that his friend had shot Wilson earlier in the summer. The man was among a group of people at whom Wilson fired during Vitelli’s killing. That man shot back once, but detectives believe it was Wilson’s gunfire that killed Vitelli.
Surveillance video from that day shows Vitelli and another man in the parking lot at the same time that a group of three people – including Wilson’s intended target – are standing at the corner of the lot near the rear sidewalk area, the DA's office said. As Vitelli approaches the rear sidewalk, the gunman opens fire on the group at the corner of the parking lot.
The video shows the gunman running out from the other side of the parking lot. He’s wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black face mask, as well as white gloves and pink socks. The video shows him firing multiple rounds as he runs toward the group.
Detectives found eight bullet casings and a “deformed projectile” at the scene, the DA's office said.
Investigators identified Wilson as the suspect after various interviews, multiple surveillance videos, text message logs and cellphone records. He is also wanted for a separate August incident in which detectives say he entered his ex-girlfriend’s Norristown home without permission and choked her.
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According to a police affidavit, Wilson had an address in Philadelphia, but his uncle told police the teen had been staying at an unknown address in Norristown.
Wilson is described as 6 feet tall and weighing around 170 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous, and anyone who spots him is asked to call 911.
Anyone with information on his possible whereabouts is asked to contact the Norristown Police Department at 610-270-0977 or the Montgomery County Detectives at 610-226-5553. Anonymous text tips can be submitted using MontcoCrimeTips on the STOPit! app; people should use the code “MONTCOPA” to download the Montgomery County version of the app.
