
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A 14-year-old is facing charges for the murder of a city employee who police say was caught in crossfire outside a West Philly recreation center on Friday.
The latest: City officials announced Monday that the teen is being charged as an adult in the shooting that killed Parks and Recreation Department employee Tiffany Fletcher while she was working at the Mill Creek Playground.
- If convicted for first-degree murder, the teenager would face a sentence of 30 years to life.
- Police recovered a 9mm "ghost gun," a homemade firearm that is unserialized and untraceable, in a trash can on the same block where the teen was arrested, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
The big picture: Homicides are on pace to reach an all-time high for the second year in a row in Philadelphia.
- The city has logged 384 killings through Monday, up 3% over the same time last year.
What they're saying: "Fourteen years old is very young to be charged with a homicide and it's young to be in the adult system," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a press conference.
- "What we want to do is the thing that's going to make Philadelphians safest in the future and bring justice to the family," he said.
What to watch: The investigation into the shooting near the rec center is ongoing.
- Police believe up to three other individuals could have fired shots that afternoon.

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