Philly DA announces unit targeting repeat gun possession offenders

Days after a shooting at an Eid al-fitr celebration near the Philadelphia Masjid, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced a new prosecution unit targeting people who repeatedly break gun possession laws in the city.

The Prolific Gun Offenders unit, Krasner said at a Monday morning news conference, will focus on prosecuting adults and juveniles accused of gun possession, straw purchasing, and the manufacturing and distribution of untraceable “ghost guns.”

The unit will also handle bail revocation hearings, Krasner said, moving quickly to determine if suspects have open gun possession charges in other municipalities and contact judges in those cases to prevent defendants from being released on a low bail.

The unit is funded by the City Council, said Krasner, and will also work with the Philadelphia Police Department to determine if people who violate gun possession laws have ties to gangs.

Assistant District Attorney Jeff Palmer, who will lead the unit, predicted that it would have a “profound effect” on violent crime and gun possession in the city, focusing on intelligence gathering to prevent crime before it happens.

“I am very familiar with the impact and the danger that illegal guns pose in our city, and the small percentage of very dangerous offenders who present a large danger to the vast majority of the peace-loving and wonderful citizens of Philadelphia,” said Palmer.

The announcement comes as homicides have fallen 33% from last year, with 81 homicides as of Sunday, according to data from the DA’s Office. Last year in the same time period, there were 121 homicides, said Krasner.

Last year, there were 2,268 firearms cases charged in Philadelphia, according to the data. As of Sunday, there have been 554 such cases this year, down from 620 in the same time period in 2023, the data show.

The creation of the new unit comes as authorities are investigating an April 10 shooting at Clara Muhammad Square, where at least 30 shots rang out as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Amid the gunfire, attendees ran and scattered, many ducking for cover behind trees, trash cans, and whatever else they could find.

The incident, which police said stemmed from a feud between two rival factions, left two people shot — a 22-year-old man wounded in the stomach and a 15-year-old boy struck in the hand. A responding officer shot another 15-year-old who police said had a gun. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, as is customary.

Police have charged five people in connection with the incident. Authorities named one suspect — Kahbir Oglesby-Hicks, 21, of Southwest Philadelphia — but the four others are juveniles and have not been publicly identified.