Philadelphia police announce arrest in Roxborough High School shooting
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Police officers walk from Roxborough High School in Philadelphia. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
Philadelphia police on Wednesday announced their first arrest over the deadly shooting outside Roxborough High School that left a teen dead and four others injured last month.
Driving the news: Yaaseen Bivins, 21, was charged with murder, four counts of aggravated assault, and weapons offenses over his alleged role in the killing of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde.
- Police have already issued a homicide warrant for a 16-year-old, and they said Wednesday they're "very close" to issuing another warrant for a third suspect.
The big picture: The city has been plagued by violent crime this year, with 424 homicides reported so far. That includes a steep spike in juvenile homicides and shootings.
- Officials said disputes, drugs and domestic violence remain the leading causes of most of the city's homicides.
What they're saying: Mayor Jim Kenney said at Wednesday's news conference police are on pace to seize 6,000 crime guns this year.
- "It's a disgrace," he said. "The flow of guns is relentless, and it must stop if we are to make measurable progress on this issue."
Details: Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said at a news conference that police tied Bivins to the shooting through a receipt found inside a recovered stolen Ford Explorer allegedly used as a getaway vehicle.
- The receipt showed that Bivins purchased ammunition at a city gun shop, Vanore said.
- Because of previous convictions, Bivins couldn't legally purchase ammunition and was taken into custody by federal authorities Oct. 6, police said. He's remained in custody ever since.
Flashback: On Sept. 27, five shooters waited for several minutes in a parked SUV outside the school's football field before firing more than 60 shots at the teen victims, according to police.
Of note: Bivins was found guilty in August of aggravated assault, illegal racing, and causing a vehicular death while unlicensed in a 2020 street racing crash that injured a pregnant woman and killed her unborn child, per the Inquirer.
What's next: Police are offering a $45,000 reward for information that leads to arrests and convictions in the shooting outside Roxborough High School.