Suspect In Philadelphia Killings Of Two Gay Men Remains At Large
Philadelphia police are searching for a 21-year-old man wanted in connection with three shootings that killed two gay men and wounded a third. Jahylin Melchur has not been caught, and investigators are asking the public for help finding him. Police describe him as armed and dangerous.
The shootings took place over about a month in the Hunting Park area of North Philadelphia. Police say a 55-year-old man was shot on 29 May and survived with critical injuries.
Martin Higgins, 45, was killed on 20 June. Sharef Holman, 29, was killed on the same avenue on 26 June. According to law enforcement sources who spoke to NBC10 Philadelphia, both men who died were shot in the back.
Were The Men Targeted For Being Gay?
That is what some investigators suspect, but it has not been confirmed. Law enforcement sources told NBC10 they believe Melchur targeted the victims because they were gay. The Philadelphia Police Department has been more guarded, saying only that it is looking at “all aspects of the case, including underlying motivations.”
No motive has been established, and Melchur has not been arrested.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said Melchur was seen on surveillance footage using SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, Philadelphia’s subway.
“We know this individual seems to be preying on people in that area,” Vanore told local media, appealing to anyone who recognises the man or knows his movements late at night.
Police have released images of a suspect in a red-and-black hoodie and, in separate footage, a grey hoodie under a black jacket.
A Gap In Pennsylvania’s Hate Crime Law
The case comes as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner pushes to strengthen the state’s hate crime protections. Pennsylvania’s only such statute, Ethnic Intimidation, has not been updated since 1982 and does not cover crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Pennsylvania does not have an adequate legal framework for prosecuting hate crimes,” Krasner said. “The statute’s reach stops well short of the problem.”
Anyone with information can contact the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit on (215) 686-3334, or leave an anonymous tip on (215) 686-8477.
