2 Men Held in Gunfight Outside School
Police arrested and charged two men Saturday in connection with a gun battle outside an elementary school that seriously wounded a 10-year-old boy and injured a crossing guard.
Kareem Johnson, 20, and Kennell Spady, 19, both of Philadelphia, were charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in connection with the Wednesday morning gunfight, police Capt. Richard Ross said late Saturday.
The 10-year-old, Faheem Thomas-Childs, was shot in the face on the playground. He underwent brain surgery and remained on life support Saturday.
Dist. Atty. Lynne Abraham urged community members to turn in others involved in the shootout. “You will never be safe as long as people who shoot up the neighborhood at 9 o’clock in the morning are out there,” Abraham said.
Johnson and Spady apparently were in a group on foot exchanging shots with another group in a car outside the school, authorities said. Police have said the groups blasted at least 94 rounds at each other, and ballistics tests indicated that the shots were fired from six guns.
The crossing guard was treated for a wound to the right foot.
Johnson and Spady had been brought in on outstanding federal warrants for other firearms related charges.
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