By Brendan O’Brien
(Reuters) -The suspect arrested in Philadelphia in one of a series of mass shootings across the county over the Fourth of July weekend was arraigned in court on Wednesday on five murder counts and other charges and held without bail, according to media reports.
Identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, the suspect wore a bullet-proof vest and a ski mask when they shot victims at random with an AR-15-style rifle on Monday evening before being taken into custody, Philadelphia officials said on Tuesday.
The ages of the five men killed in the shooting range from 15 to 59 years old. The two injured children were aged 2 and 13, police said.
A bra, hooped earrings, and gold bracelets can be seen on Carriker in March 2022 Facebook posts where he is also dressed as a lady.
He had also shared unsettling posts on Facebook such as “How do you know if an evil spirit is following you” and “We kept the receipts,” as well as a picture of a map displaying notable US “black massacres.”
According to Philadelphia court records, Carriker was detained back in 2003 and charged with drug possession, carrying a pistol in public, and having a weapon without a license. The remaining charges were subsequently dropped after he admitted to possessing a handgun without a license.
He was given a three-year probation and ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines.
Authorities have yet to determine a motive, District Attorney Larry Krasner said during an interview on CNN on Wednesday. The suspect had no apparent connection with any of the victims, who were gunned down during a long holiday weekend that was marred by a rash of mass shootings in a country where gun violence has become nearly commonplace.
A total of 16 mass shootings unfolded across the nation from Friday evening until Wednesday morning, leaving 15 dead and 94 injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago)
