Police have arrested two Delaware County teenagers in connection with a shooting that killed a Chester woman who was lying in bed Sunday.
Kathy Stewart, 49, was struck in the head by a stray bullet that pierced through the wall of her mother's home in the 300 block of Franklin Street. She died early Tuesday.
Abdul Azzia Johnson, 17, of the 1100 block of Curry Street in Chester, and Dominique Smith, 19, of the 400 block of Gilbert Street in Trainer, have been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses, authorities announced today.
Outside the home where Stewart died, a crowd of about 100 people gathered to hear how police had found the two accused of killing her. The crowd applauded and shouted, "Yes sir!" and "Thank you!" when Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green announced that the pair was charged with first-degree murder.
Stewart's 83-year-old mother, who is ill with cancer, watched the news conference from an open window on the second floor of the home. Green recounted how an officer found Stewart lying on her stomach in an upstairs bedroom. The bullet had blown through the wall and the headboard, striking Stewart on the top of her head. Her eyes were open, and she struggled to breathe.
Green also explained how a witness told police he had heard the two men laughing about Stewart's death. People in the crowd gasped, and one of Stewart's nephews wept loudly and was taken inside the house.
Upstairs, Stewart's mother, Marietta Andrews, covered her mouth with her hand as two younger women held her.
According to the witness who spoke with police, Smith and Johnson were shooting at someone in the neighborhood in retaliation for a friend who had been shot in the eye, police said. The witness described what the men were wearing, a burgundy Grand Marquis that matches one driven by Johnson, and the types of weapons used in the shooting.
Although gun violence is common in Chester, Stewart's death has shaken the community. Family, friends and residents of the William Penn Homes - the housing development where the shooting took place - have gathered for the last two nights for a candlelit vigil and march to support the family and rally for an end to violence in the city.
Last night, some 200 people marched around the housing development, chanting, "Enough is enough." After the march, the crowd held hands and prayed for peace.
Contact staff writer Joelle Farrell at 610-627-0352 or jfarrell@phillynews.com.
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