©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Two wounded in East Mount Airy shootout
by JENNIFER KATZ

Two victims were wounded in a drive by shooting in the 200 block of East Durham Street in Mount Airy at 1 a.m. on July 3. In what police are investigating as a “retaliation” shooting, Leonard Brown, 19, of the 200 block of Sydney Street and Kory Backus, 26, of the 300 block of Elizabeth Street in Middleton, Delaware were shot while standing outside. The shooter was in a dark SUV. Brown was hit in the right cheek and was taken to Einstein Medical Center in Logan. Brown was listed in critical condition and underwent surgery, according to police. At press time he was in stable condition in the intensive care unit. Backus was hit in the right hip and was also taken to Einstein where she was reportedly in stable condition.

The Special Investigation’s Unit of the Northwest Detectives Unit is actively investigating the shooting, police said, although neither victim has been cooperative. “The two of them are not talking,” said 14th police district Capt. Winton Singletary. “We have to wait until they tell us the truth.”

One of the block’s residents, who asked not to be identified, said she heard three rounds of gunfire that evening. According to reports from neighbors an initial fight broke out between two groups at the Sedgwick train station at Devon and Durham Street between 9 and 10 p.m. over a video game. One of the individuals involved in the fight was injured, reportedly beaten up and pistol-whipped. Police confirmed that they are investigating the fight as the impetus for the shooting.

The next round of gunshots was heard about an hour later slightly farther away, but it is believed that the gun was only fired into the air. Then, at about 1 a.m. an SUV allegedly drove down the street spraying bullets into at least four parked cars and wounding the two victims.

Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller’s Administrator Vernon Price, who has lived around the corner from the shooting location for 30 years, described the incident as “starting over something very simple and escalating.

“My understanding is that it started between two kids having a fight and escalated to family members and then to people from other parts of the city,” Price said.

The fight was caused by two individuals who rent a home on the block where the shooting took place, Price said.

“Nothing like this has ever happened here before,” Price said. “We’ve had our share of problems but never anything like this and we are not going to tolerate it.”

Price has organized a community meeting with community leaders and police to be held on July 6 at 7 p.m. at the Sedgwick Cultural Center to discuss residents’ concerns. He also contacted the landlord of the two individuals believed to be at the heart of this and other recent problems on the block and said that they have been given a 30-day eviction notice. In fact, neighbors reported seeing people remove items from the house as if they were moving the day after the shooting.

Contact staff writer Jennifer Katz at 215-248-8804 or jenn@chestnuthilllocal.com.