What to know
- A 17-year-old boy searched in connection with a shooting at a bowling alley in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which left one person dead and four others injured.
- Jamel Barnwell is facing numerous charges, including murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault, as a result of 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 disagreement 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 jailed Monday morning after surrendering overnight to be charged.
The Saturday night shooting in Our Town Alley, formerly Facenda Whitaker Lanes, also injured four other people.
Jamel Barnwell of Upper Darby, accompanied by his parents, surrendered to police late Sunday night, East Norriton Police Chief Brandon Pasquale told NBC10.
County detectives interviewed Barnwell and he was taken to Montgomery County Jail, Pasquale said.
Over the weekend, an arrest warrant was issued against the teenager who charged him with first- and third-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless threat, possession of a crime instrument, and related matters.
Officers in East Norriton, about 37 miles northwest of Philadelphia, responded to the alley shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday, where dozens of people, including children, were bowling.
The Montgomery County prosecutor said 29-year-old Frank Wade of Philadelphia was found dead at the entrance to the bowling alley. An autopsy Sunday concluded that he died of multiple gunshot wounds and that his death was considered murder.
Four of Wade’s relatives – 19, 21, 26 and 31 years old – were found injured. The victims were transported to local hospitals and later admitted in stable condition. Detectives found 15 fired .45-caliber cartridge cases and five projectiles, one in the ceiling and four in the floor, prosecutors said.
County and local police officers gathered video surveillance and witness interviews and reported 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 victims.
Authorities said the teenager pulled a firearm with an extensive magazine from his jacket and started shooting. The three fled and left behind three cell phones, one of which belonged to the suspect.
Pasquale said Monday that the other two people with Barnwell are not suspected of the shooting.
Syreeta Stanford told NBC10 she was Wade’s wife, saying he was a dad and an aspiring chef and they had plans to open a food truck together.
“Frank was a good guy,” said Stanford. ‘He was a good guy. He was a lucky guy. He loved family. He wasn’t on the street. ‘
Stanford said Wade went to the bowling alley to meet some people he knew.
“I’m living in a nightmare right now,” Stanford told NBC10. “This doesn’t feel real.”
Prosecutor Kevin Steele said that 50 to 75 people, including young children, were in the bowling alley at the time, and some were hiding in a closet.
Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen shots inside the building. One of them said he saw a man breaking a window with a chair to get his children outside to safety.
In a statement, Our Town Alley said the incident is rare and they are cooperating with the police.
“Our Town Alley management and staff have been devastated by the violence that struck our establishment on Saturday evening, February 20, 2021,” the statement said. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and our entire community, who have been startled by this unusual incident.”
The last murder in East Norriton was at least five years ago, police said.
Barnwell would be charged on Monday. It is unclear whether he has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.