Phila. police make three arrests in four homicides

Philadelphia police have arrested three men in connection with four killings earlier this year.

On Thursday, police arrested Kyree Darrisaw, 28, of Wynnefield, in connection with two of the killings. The first happened on May 10, when police found Basil Amir Anderson, 23, with a gunshot wound to the back of his head on the 5300 block of Hazelhurst Street, just a few blocks from Darrisaw's house.

Anderson, of Overbrook, was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and was pronounced dead 10 minutes later.

Police said Darrisaw is also responsible for the death of Meshach Brightly, 21, of Overbrook. The victim was found with a gunshot wound to the head on the 5300 block of Berks Street - a half-block from where Anderson was fatally wounded - just before midnight Aug. 4. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a medic.

Darrisaw has been charged with two counts of murder, firearms violations, and related offenses. Police did not specify a motive in the killings.

On Friday, police arrested Aka Jones of East Mount Airy in the shooting death of Nafis Armstead, 23, one of the victims of a double shooting on July 27. Armstead died from multiple gunshot wounds about a half-hour after police found him on the 200 block of East Sharpnack Street.

The other victim, a 26-year-old man, was also shot multiple times and was critically injured.

Jones was charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, and firearms violations.

On Sunday, police arrested Tyree Peel, 27, of Kingsessing, in the death of Thomas Holman, 26, also of Kingsessing. Police responding to an Aug. 15 report of shots fired found Holman on the 1500 block of South 53d Street, shot in the head and chest. He was pronounced dead at Penn Presbyterian minutes later.

Peel was arrested on the same block where Holman was shot, police said. He has been charged with murder, firearms violations, and related offenses.

215-854-2961@aubreyjwhelan