EAST NORRITON — Authorities say a 17-year-old youth is being sought in a shooting at a bowling alley near Philadelphia that left one person dead and four others injured.
Officers in East Norriton, about 23 miles northwest of Philadelphia, responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday to Our Town Alley, formerly Facenda Whitaker Lanes and found five shooting victims.
The Montgomery County prosecutor’s office said 29-year-old Frank Wade of Philadelphia was found dead in the entrance to the bowling alley. An autopsy Sunday concluded that he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.
Four relatives of Wade — ages 19, 21, 26 and 31 — were found wounded. The victims were transported to local hospitals and later listed in stable condition. Detectives recovered 15 fired .45-caliber cartridge casings and five projectiles, one in the ceiling and four in the floor, prosecutors said.
County detectives and local police gathered video surveillance and witness interviews and reported finding that three males, 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 extended magazine from his jacket and began shooting. The three suspects then fled, leaving behind three cell phones, one of which belonged to the suspect.
An arrest warrant was issued for the 17-year-old charging him with first- and third-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, possessing an instrument of crime and related counts. Detectives said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Wade’s wife told WPVI-TV that he was a loving husband and father of two who wanted to be a chef.
“He was a good person. Frank had a lot of hopes and dreams. He was never a violent person. He was never in the streets. He wanted better,” Syreta Stanford said.
District Attorney Kevin Steele said 50 to 75 people, including young children, were in the bowling alley at the time, and some hid in a closet.
“You start hearing, ‘Pop pop pop pop pop.’ You hear them going off and everyone started panicking, running toward the back,” said Harry Delmar, who was there with his family, including his 2-year-old niece and 9-year-old nephew.
