iradiophilly | News - Two Teens Charged in Fanta Bility's Murder; Gunman Shoots at Philly Police; Deadly Arson Fire

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Two Teens Charged in Fanta Bility's Murder; Gunman Shoots at Philly Police; Deadly Arson Fire

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 11/11/21 3:45 pm | updated: 11/11/21 3:45 pm

Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the death of an 8-year-old girl outside of a high school football game in Delaware County this past August 2021. 16-year-old Angelo 'AJ' Ford of Sharon Hill has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and related charges. 18-year-old Hasein Strand of Collingdale faces similar charges but is not yet in custody. It all happened on August 27 outside Academy Park stadium as a game was letting out between Academy Park and Pennsbury. Investigators determined that Ford and Strand "exchanged multiple gunshots with each other" outside the game during an altercation striking one bystander. Three Sharon Hill police officers were positioned at the exit of the stadium. Upon hearing the shots and seeing a car pull in front of them, officers responded with shots of their own. Officers' gunfire struck and killed 8-year-old Fanta Bility and injured 4 others. "Under the laws of this commonwealth, my office has determined that (the defendants) should both be held criminally liable for the murder of Fanta Bility, as well as for the wounding of all of the bystanders," District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said. A grand jury will investigate the whole case including the police officer's use of deadly force. The Sharon Hill Borough Council previously appointed former Philadelphia District Attorney Kelley Hodge as a special counsel to lead an independent investigation.

"The killing of Fanta Bility was a tragedy not just for her family, but for the entire Delaware County community. Today's arrests begin the criminal process for those that initiated the deadly events of August 27th by shooting to kill at a high school football game," said Stollsteimer. "Still, the pursuit of justice for Fanta demands that my office continue its comprehensive review of the actions of all parties involved in the tragic chain of events. On November 18th, a Grand Jury composed of Delaware County residents will be seated to review the entire case, so that it may be determined whether the police officers' use of deadly force was justified."

Philadelphia Police are searching for a gunman that opened fire on officers, injuring one, in Strawberry Mansion on Wednesday night, 11/10. It happened around 9 p.m. Wednesday on the 2900 block of West Dauphin Street. Officers in an unmarked car observed a vehicle driving erratically and began to follow it. They called for a marked vehicle to pull the car over. While both police vehicles were following the car it suddenly stopped and the gunman got out. He opened fire on the unmarked car, shooting 11 times and striking the unmarked Chevy Impala at least 5 times. One shot went through the center of the windshield shattering the glass. The officer in the passenger seat got cut in the face and neck. "He's in stable condition. He's fine, but he's extremely lucky because the one bullet went through the center of that front windshield; either of these officers could have been struck by gunfire," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. Police did not return fire, but they have some information about the car. No arrests have been made.

Philadelphia officials say that a deadly early morning fire in Tioga/Nicetown was arson and that the two deaths are considered homicides. It happened around 4 a.m. on the 1400 block of Jerome Street. Fire crews were able to bring the row home fire under control in under 20 minutes, but two people were found dead on the second floor. 57-year-old Josh Chase has been identified by family as one of the victims. The second man's identity has not been released. No word on the exact cause of the fire, but they do believe it was intentionally set.