The summer shooting that killed two people at Wilmington’s Eden Park during a soccer tournament is linked to gang activity in an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
The indictment, announced by Attorney General Beau Biden at Eden Park, lists 10 defendants suspected of being members of the Wilmington street gang SureShots. Five defendants face charges for their roles in shooting that left 47-year-old Herman Curry and 16 year-old Alex Kamara dead.
The two men previously charged in those killings - Jeffery Phillips and Otis Phillips - now face additional gang participation charges. Three others, Kelmar Allen, Roland Phillips, and Seon Phillips, are charged with gang activity and conspiracy for allegedly helping to plan the shooting.
Jamel Chapman, Maria Dubois, Mahary Goode, Levar Graham, and Michael Watson are also named in the indictment, charged with gang participation
Biden announced the charges accompanied by the father and sister of one of the victims.
"No matter how aggressively we prosecute the people we indict today, its still not going to bring her brother back. But I can assure you our office is going to aggressively do just that and bring every tool we have to bear to make sure that the individuals who were behind the tragedy that took place in this park are brought to justice," said Biden
8 of the 10 people named in the indictment have been arrested and are either in jail or out on bail.
Mahary Goode and Michael Watson are still wanted on fugitive warrants.
Members of a Wilmington, Delaware stret gang known as "SureShots" were the recipients of criminal indictments for murder, attempted murder and other crimes commited during and leading up to an attack at a community soccer tournament in the city's Eden Park.
Attorney General Beau Biden, accompanied by the father and sister of one of the victims and speaking to reporters at the park, was quiet on the details of the gang, unable to comment. He insisted, however, that progress was being made in the investigation of the brazen daytime public shooting.
"No matter how aggressive we prosecute the people we indict today, it's still not going to bring her brother back. But I can assure you that our office is going to aggressively do just that and bring every tool that we have to bear to make sure that the individuals behind the tragedy that took place in this park are brought to justice."
Among other crimes, the indictment names 22-year old Jeffrey Phillips and Otis Phillips, 36, with two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Otis Phillips was also charged with an additional first degree murder count, stemming from a January 2008 shooting death that also took place in Wilmington. Until his apprehension following the Eden Park shootings, Otis Phillips was considered a "fugitive, whereabouts unkown."
Wilmington Police Chief Michael Sczerba remarked on the courage of the family and the community to overcome a tragedy like the shooting. "You can come back here at any given night, there will be youth playing on this field," he said. "We have the involved parents, the involved community members showing that its not a matter of being scared, its a matter of being aware and we move on. And we move on in memory of the victims here to show the courage that these families have shown."
Even with the indictments, however, the Attorney General's office and police are not finished compiling all the details of the shooting and Wilmigton Police are asking members of the public who have information regarding the crimes to contact them.