Gunfire claimed the lives of two men and left three others wounded in two unrelated shootings in the Lower Northeast last weekend.
The most recent gun battle occurred during the second half of the Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday and involved members of the Wheels of Soul motorcycle gang, according to authorities and published reports. It occurred outside the Tangeray Tavern on the 900 block of Pratt St.
Officers from the 2nd district were called to the scene at about 6:16 p.m. in response to a report of “shots fired.” They found a man later identified as LaBrian Dale-Parker, 34, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics took him to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m. Authorities did not specify his injuries.
Three other men were injured and all taken to area hospitals in private vehicles. Police identified two of them as a 53-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, each with multiple gunshot wounds. Both were taken in private vehicles to Aria Health’s Frankford campus in critical condition. A 34-year-old man suffered a single wound of the right thigh and was taken by private vehicle to Lankenau Hospital in stable condition. Police did not release the wounded men’s names.
Officially, police have classified the motive as an argument and have not identified any suspects. According to published reports, police at the scene and witnesses said that the murder victim was wearing a Wheels of Soul motorcycle club jacket, as were other men who fled the area on motorcycles after the shooting. Police intended to question the wounded men about their possible involvement in the confrontation.
The shootout occurred one day after an unrelated slaying in Frankford. On Saturday at about 1:49 p.m., a man reportedly parked his car on the 4000 block of E. Cheltenham Ave. and began to exit it when an unknown person opened fire.
Police were called to the scene and found the 41-year-old victim inside his white Chevy Impala. He had multiple wounds. Paramedics took him to Aria Health’s Torresdale campus, where he was pronounced dead at 2:36 p.m. He was identified as Benjamin Sheppard of the 4000 block of E. Cheltenham. A motive is not known. ••
