Police in Philadelphia hunt suspect after two men killed and another injured in alleged anti-gay attacks

Police in Philadelphia are searching for a man suspected of carrying out a series of shootings targeting gay men, leaving two people dead and a third seriously injured.

Investigators have identified 21-year-old Jahylin Melchur as a suspect in three attacks that took place over the course of a month in the Hunting Park area of the city. Authorities believe the incidents are connected and may have been motivated by hostility towards the victims' sexual orientation.

The first shooting occurred on 29 May at around 9.50pm. A 55-year-old man survived after being shot while standing near his car. According to police, the victim told officers that a man approached him, announced a robbery and then opened fire. He was found in the street suffering from gunshot wounds to his side and elbow.

A second attack took place on 20 June at about 10pm. Martin Higgins, 45, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds to his back. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

Less than a week later, on 26 June at around 11pm, 29-year-old Sharef Holman was shot in the back. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries.

Police initially did not disclose a possible motive for the shootings. However, investigators now believe the three incidents are linked and may have targeted gay men.

“All three incidents were perpetrated very similarly in the same geographic area,” Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said. “So we're believing now that they're all connected.”

The attacks all took place within a month of one another in the vicinity of Hunting Park, prompting detectives to investigate whether a single offender was responsible.

Vanore said investigators believe the suspect may be using public transport to travel to and from the crime scenes. He urged passengers using the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) network to remain vigilant.

Sources told local broadcaster NBC10 Philadelphia that all three victims were gay. Police have not formally classified the shootings as hate crimes, however, and Vanore previously said robbery remains a key line of inquiry.

“The motive appears to be robbery, in all these cases. At least it does in the first case,” he said last week. “We have a witness telling us he announced the robbery, but at this point, that's our theory.”

Philadelphia Police have released images of the suspect and warned members of the public not to approach him if spotted. Instead, anyone with information is being urged to contact law enforcement immediately.

The case has also drawn attention to gaps in Pennsylvania's hate crime legislation. While the state enacted an LGBTQ+-inclusive hate crimes law in 2002, it was later struck down by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on procedural grounds. Lawmakers have not subsequently passed legislation explicitly adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's hate crime protections.

Police say the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist detectives is being urged to come forward.