2023 Kingsessing shooting

Overview

On July 2–3, 2023, a spree shooting took place in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Five people were killed and four others were injured before police took the suspected shooter into custody without incident.

The Shooting

The first victim, Joseph Wamah Jr., was killed around 12:30 a.m. EDT on July 2, 2023. The remaining victims were killed roughly 20 hours later, around 8:30 p.m. on July 3, 2023, when a shooter wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15–style rifle and a pistol opened fire in southwest Kingsessing. He fired randomly at people and at occupied vehicles, killing four more people and wounding four others—two struck by gunfire and two injured by shattered glass. Responding police officers were flagged down and began administering first aid to victims until they heard additional gunshots, at which point the accused was taken into custody. During the incident, the brother of one victim returned fire toward the shooter; he was briefly detained but later released without charges.

Victims

Those killed were identified as Dajuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 20; Ralph Moralis, 59; Dymir Stanton, 29; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31.

Suspect and Legal Proceedings

Kimbrady Carriker, 40, of Philadelphia, was charged with five counts of murder along with six other counts and was denied bail. Reports indicated he had made violent and disturbing posts on a since-deleted Facebook profile referencing "evil spirits" and describing neighborhood "patrols" to fight crime. According to two law enforcement officers, Carriker told police he carried out the attack to "clean up the neighborhood." Prosecutors said a will dated June 23 was found in his home but have not disclosed further details. Acquaintances described him as "agitated" in the days before the shooting and said he had been wearing a bulletproof vest around his house. A 2005 misdemeanor conviction had legally barred Carriker from possessing firearms. On August 29, 2023, a judge ruled Carriker incompetent to stand trial due to mental health issues; on March 19, 2024, the Philadelphia District Attorney's office announced he had been deemed competent for trial. On December 17, 2025, Carriker pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, attempted murder, and firearm violations, and was sentenced to 37½ to 75 years in prison.

Investigation

Philadelphia Police said both the rifle and the 9mm handgun recovered from the accused were privately made firearms without manufacturer's markings. On July 5, 2023, the city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against two firearm component suppliers, Polymer80 and JSD Supply, among the largest suppliers of such parts in the city.

Reactions

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed outrage over the shooting, stating that the country needed to "reexamine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous people's hands."