Police investigating fatal shooting near Main Campus

Philadelphia Police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Sunday morning north of Main Campus.

At about 4:39 a.m., police received a call from York St. near 13th, according to a press release from the Philadelphia Police’s Public Affairs Unit.

Police said when they reached the location, they found a 35-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds lying in the street. His vehicle was also found with the keys in the ignition, and the driver’s door open, police said.

The man was transported to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:55 a.m., according to the release. No suspects or motives have been identified, police said.

This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Police arrest suspect in connection to two armed robberies

Robert Sherrill, 26, has been arrested in connection to two armed robberies near campus last week. | COURTESY Philadelphia Police

Robert Sherrill, 26, has been arrested in connection to two armed robberies near campus last week. | COURTESY Philadelphia Police

Philadelphia Police have arrested a suspect in connection to two separate armed robberies that occurred near Main Campus last Thursday morning.

Robert Sherrill, 26, of North Clarion Street near York, was apprehended at his home Oct. 17, and has been charged with carjacking, robbery and other offenses, according to a press release from Philadelphia Police’s Office of Public Affairs.

According to the release, police were able to arrest Sherrill after uploading surveillance video of the two incidents to Philadelphia Police’s YouTube channel—a carjacking and armed robbery near 10th Street and Susquehanna Avenue, and an armed robbery on 15th Street near Montgomery Avenue.

Because of the video, tips were generated, and Sherrill was identified as a suspect, police said. Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone previously told The Temple News he was confident the video would lead to an arrest.

“Video’s been so helpful to us,” Leone said in an interview Saturday. “I wish [robberies] would never happen to us, but when it does happen, the video has been really helpful in identifying people.”

According to court documents, Sherrill has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 3.

Footage of sexual assault suspect released

Philadelphia Police believe this is the suspect in Monday night's sexual assault and robbery of a Temple student. |COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Philadelphia Police believe this is the suspect in Monday night’s sexual assault and robbery of a Temple student. |COURTESY PHILADELPHIA POLICE

Philadelphia Police released footage today of the man who is believed to have sexually assaulted and robbed a 20-year-old female student Monday night.

The department’s Special Victims Unit is still trying to identify and locate the suspect, who was captured on a SEPTA subway camera before the incident. He was last seen boarding the Broad Street Line at the Erie station and departing at the Cecil B. Moore station.

Officer Christine O’Brien, a Philadelphia Police spokeswoman, said both a witness and the student who was attacked said the man in the video is the suspect.

O’Brien added that at a press conference at the Special Victims Unit’s headquarters on Hunting Park Avenue near Front Street, Capt. John Darby said the suspect may be responsible for another recent robbery. The location of that robbery is not yet available, O’Brien said.

The student and suspect are not believed to have known each other, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone previously told The Temple News.

Tipsters can contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-8477 or text 773847. All tips are confidential.

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu or on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.

Philly police investigating armed robbery on N. 16th Street

Philadelphia police are searching for two men in connection with an aggravated assault and shooting that occurred on the 1700 block of N. 16th Street on Saturday night.

Police said they were called to an apartment on N. 16th Street shortly after 10:00 p.m. When they arrived at the scene, they said they found drips of blood as they were climbing the staircase, and a significant amount of blood inside the apartment itself. A silver Colt .357 caliber revolver was found behind the building, police added.

Three residents of the apartment reported that they were robbed at gunpoint inside the apartment, police said. The three victims – a 27-year-old woman, a 34-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man – were unharmed, police added.

The three residents said they did not have possession of a gun during the alleged robbery, according to police.

Investigators are looking for two perpetrators and the shooting victim(s). According to police, the suspects are described as two males in their mid-30s, one of them of slim build.

Jack Tomczuk can be reached at jack.tomczuk@temple.edu or on Twitter @JackTomczuk.

Woman shot after leaving bar near Main Campus

Police are investigating a shooting that occurred at 17th Street and Susquehanna Avenue last night that resulted in one woman being sent to Temple University Hospital.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said three women were leaving Han Enterprises Inc., a bar located near the shooting. They got into a vehicle before hearing a gunshot at around 11 p.m., he said.

Moments later, the driver felt heat and pain in her back, and realized she had been shot, Leone said. He added that they stopped a Philadelphia Police officer on Diamond Street, who transported the victim to Temple University Hospital.

The Inquirer reported that the woman was driving a 2012 Mazda west on Susquehanna Avenue, and was turning south on 17th Street was she was hit by the stray bullet. Police said they found 10 spent shell casings and several viles of crack cocaine near the scene.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident at around 11:30 Thursday night.

Frank Banford, commanding officer of Philadelphia Police’s Central Detectives Division, tweeted last night that anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call 215-686-3093. Tipsters can also contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234.

Two suspects sought in robbery on Berks Street

Philadelphia and Temple police are searching for two male suspects in connection with an armed robbery which occurred on the 1600 block of Berks Street around 10:30 p.m. yesterday, police said.

Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said in an email that a non-Temple-affiliated male was turning onto Berks Street from Willington Street to retrieve items from his vehicle when the suspects approached him and brandished weapons.

The suspects obtained two iPhones before fleeing north down 16th Street in a red sedan, driven by a third male, Leone said. The victim told police that one suspect wore a blue hoodie and the other was wearing orange running shoes.

Detectives from Temple Police are working with Philadelphia police to review security camera footage from the area and search for potential witnesses, Leone said.

A TU Alert was sent out about the incident around 11:00 p.m. which encouraged anyone with information to call 911. The alert said the incident occurred on the 1800 block of Willington Street since the victim was turning off that block onto Berks Street, Leone said.

UPDATE: Leone said the suspects may have been involved in a robbery of three students which occurred near 18th and Diamond streets on Nov. 12 around 11:10 p.m. One suspect from the Nov. 12 robbery ran past the students walking east on Diamond Street and turned around and pointed a gun at them.

The students dropped their bags and cell phones on the ground, and the suspects fled east towards Broad Street in a dark-colored sedan that was parked, Leone said.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@temple.edu or on Twitter @JBrandt_TU.

Arrests made, no charges filed yet, in Friday’s assault cases

Five juveniles believed to be connected with Friday’s assault on a 19-year-old student and her 20-year-old boyfriend have been arrested according to the Philadelphia police.

The minors have not yet been charged and are awaiting a court hearing as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said.

Three of the people arrested were 15 years old, one was 14 and another was 17, Stanford said.

The arrests came in the wake of surveillance footage released last night of four teenage females walking toward the 1700 block of Norris Street before the assault took place.

At 6 p.m., a female student and her boyfriend said they were attacked by a group of eight to 10 youths who appeared to between 13 to 14 years old. One of the attackers, a female, hit the 19-year-old victim in the face twice with a brick resulting in emergency oral surgery, a fractured jawbone and mild concussion.

Two other students reported similar attacks within a half-hour of the aforementioned assault by a group of juveniles ranging in the same size.

The couple assaulted with a brick called 911 en route to Hannehman University Hospital within 10 minutes of the attack while a second female attempted to report the attack to the 22nd Precinct police station on 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue but did not file an official report.

A third student waited until Sunday afternoon to speak to Temple police.

It is not clear whether all three attacks are related at this time.

Paley Library evacuated due to bomb scare

The Paley Library and Tuttleman Learning Center were evacuated by police for close to a half hour Tuesday afternoon due to a suspicious package. The buildings, near the corner of 13th Street and Polett Walk, were evacuated around 2:20 p.m. and the all clear was issued at 2:45 p.m.

Police and bomb squad units responded to the scene where they closed 13th street from automobile traffic and had K-9 units as well as a bomb disposal robot on the scene.

The suspicious package was found on top of a urinal in the first floor men’s bathroom of Paley. The package was found to be a student’s electronics project that consisted of a tissue box with wires found on top, said Charlie Leone, acting executive director of campus safety services.

On Sunday at 5:38 p.m. the Conwell Inn on Main Campus was evacuated due to a prop grenade. The all-clear was issued 25 minutes later.

Police looking for robbery suspects west of Main Campus

Philadelphia Police are searching for three suspects who allegedly attempted to take a woman’s cell phone on Monday, according to police.

On Feb. 4, at approximately 1:10 p.m., a 21-year-old woman was on the 1800 block of West Berks Street when three suspects approached her from behind, grabbed her and tried to take her cell phone, police said. After an unsuccessful attempt to grab the cell phone, police said the suspects fled west on Berks Street.

The first suspect is described by police as a 16 to 19-year-old black male of light complexion and stocky build. He was last seen wearing a black jacket over gray, a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. The other two suspects are described as black males in their late teens.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS, 215-686-3093 or text tips to 773847.

Sexual assault reported in Temple Towers

A sexual assault was reported Monday morning, stemming from an incident that occurred in Temple Towers during the weekend, said Deputy Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone.

The case involves two Temple students, an 18-year-old female victim and an 18-year-old man. No charges have been filed yet and the case has been referred to the Philadelphia Police’s Special Victim’s Unit, Leone said.

Leone said that along with being referred to the Special Victim’s Unit, the case has also been referred to the Student Code of Conduct through the university. He said alcohol was involved.

Check back with temple-news.com for more information as it becomes available.