What to know
- A 17-year-old boy wanted in connection with a bowling alley shot in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, who left one person dead and four injured, turned himself in.
- Jamel Barnwell faces numerous charges, including murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault, stemming from the Saturday night shooting in East Norriton.
- Authorities say the teenager and two other men entered Our Town Alley and three minutes later there was a physical altercation between them and the victims. Barnwell is the only suspect in the shooting.
A 17-year-old wanted in a deadly shooting at a Montgomery County bowling alley was arrested Monday morning after surrendering overnight to face charges.
Saturday night’s shooting at Our Town Alley, formerly Facenda Whitaker Lanes, also injured four others.
Jamel Barnwell of Upper Darby, accompanied by his parents, surrendered to the police on Sunday night, East Norriton police chief Brandon Pasquale told NBC10.
County detectives interviewed Barnwell and he was taken to Montgomery County Prison, Pasquale said.
An arrest warrant was issued for the teenager over the weekend, accusing him of first and third degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless danger, possession of an instrument of crime and related charges.
Officers in East Norriton, about 23 miles northwest of Philadelphia, responded shortly after 6:30 pm Saturday in the alley, where dozens of people, including children, were bowling.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said Frank Wade, 29, of Philadelphia, was found dead at the entrance to the bowling alley. An autopsy on Sunday concluded that he died from several gunshot wounds and that his death was considered homicide.
Four of Wade’s relatives – aged 19, 21, 26 and 31 years old – were found injured. The victims were transported to local hospitals and later listed in a stable condition. Detectives recovered 15 fired .45 caliber cartridges and five projectiles, one on the ceiling and four on the floor, prosecutors said.
County detectives and local police gathered video surveillance and interviews with witnesses and reported finding that three men, including the 17-year-old from Upper Darby, entered the bowling alley and three minutes later there was a physical altercation between them and the women. victims.
Authorities said the teenager pulled a firearm with an extensive magazine from his jacket and started shooting. The three then fled, leaving behind three cell phones, one of which belonged to the suspect.
Pasquale said on Monday that the other two people with Barnwell are not suspected of the shooting.
Syreeta Stanford told NBC10 that she was Wade’s wife, saying that he was a father and an aspiring chef and that they had plans to open a food truck together.
“Frank was a good guy,” said Stanford. “He was a good guy. He was a happy guy. He loved the family. He was not on the streets.”
Stanford said that Wade had gone to the bowling alley to go out with some people he knew.
“I am living a nightmare now,” Stanford told NBC10. “It doesn’t seem real.”
Public prosecutor Kevin Steele said that 50 to 75 people, including small children, were on the bowling alley at the time, and some hid in a closet.
Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen shots inside the building. One of them reported seeing a man breaking a window with a chair to place his children safely outside.
In a note, Our Town Alley said the incident is rare and that they are working with the police.
“Our Town Alley administration and staff are devastated by the violence that occurred at our establishment on Saturday night, February 20, 2021,” the statement said. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and our entire community, which has been shaken by this unusual incident.”
The last homicide in East Norriton was at least five years ago, police said.
Barnwell was due to be sued on Monday. It is not clear whether he has a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.