Security Guard for Christmas Village Shoots, Kills Man
Philadelphia PA Nov 11 2021
A 29-year-old man was shot and killed while at Philadelphia’s iconic LOVE Park Tuesday night.
Philadelphia police said Gregory Thomas Sr. shot the man after retrieving a gun from his Jeep, which was parked nearby.
At the time of the shooting, Thomas was working security detail for the construction of the annual Christmas Village in the park, police said.
The 29-year-old victim, who was not identified, was found shot multiple times shortly before 8:45 p.m. in the park at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Police officers who were nearby at the time of the shooting rushed him to a nearby hospital, where the man died a short time later.
The man had become involved in some sort of altercation with the guard, 43-year-old Gregory Thomas Sr. prior to the shooting, police said.
The security guard “retrieved a black duffle bag” from his Jeep, which was parked nearby, police said in a news release. “The offender then removed a handgun from the duffel bag and shot the decedent multiple times.”
The murdered man was well dressed and had a last-known address outside the city, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Police said that witnesses helped investigators figure out what may have happened in the moments leading up to the shooting in the iconic park.
The murder victim was walking around in and near the park for at least an hour before being shot, investigators said.
After the shooting, the suspected gunman hopped into the 2007 Jeep SUV and drove off down JFK Boulevard, police said.
Later on Tuesday night, the operations manager for the security company made contact with Thomas and then took him to the police department’s homicide unit, police said.
Thomas was charged with murder and related charges. It was unclear if Thomas had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
An exact motive for the killing wasn’t clear.
As of Wednesday morning there were at least 473 homicides in Philadelphia, up 11% from the same time last year, which was ultimately one of the most deadly years on record in the city.
