The suspect in Thursday night’s shooting incident in Philadelphia of a 7-month-old infant boy has been named by the authorities.
The little youngster was allegedly shot by Dominique Billips, 28, in the 4000 block of Meridian Street in the Holmesburg section of the city. Billips has been placed under arrest by the police.
Action News was able to obtain disturbing video that shows the gunman approaching a residence and starting to fire on a baby and his parents.
The mother of the child can be heard shouting, “My baby,” over and over in the footage after the rounds were fired.
Philly police Lieutenant Denis Rosenbaum questioned, “You knew they had a stroller, what makes you walk up to someone with a stroller and shoot them?”
Police said that one of the shots struck the baby in the leg. However, the parents were unable to be discovered when police arrived on the location.
“The mother and father who had initially gone to the hospital left the location because of fear from police because of outstanding warrants,” Rosenbaum stated.
When the parents were eventually brought in for interrogation by officials, they learned that there had been a fight on the 7900 block of Frankford Avenue before to the shooting.
There, authorities claimed that by using commercial security footage, they were able to obtain a clearer picture of their suspect.
Police said it seems like a $100 drug debt is the source of the argument.
“One of the detectives from a different squad had recognized one of the females involved from another shooting where she was the victim in 2022. It happened on the 4200 block of Rhawn Street in August of 2022,” Rosenbaum said.
The name of the perpetrator, who coincidentally coincided with the name of the gunshot victim the investigator believed it to be, was provided by a tip that Philadelphia police reported they received.
Highway patrol was able to help authorities locate the car that was also visible on security footage and that Billips was known to utilize.
When police stopped a woman after discovering the car in the 5900 block of Loretto Street, they allegedly discovered Billips was at a residence on the 1300 block of Van Kirk.
“The suspect was asked to come out. She did and surrendered to the highway patrol officers. She was taken into custody without incident,” Rosenbaum stated.
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The infant was being prepared for release to the family from CHOP, where his condition was stable, according to the police. The parents’ previous warrants, according to the police, were not violent.
“It’s sad, you see she points the gun at the mother of the baby who is also a juvenile, and fires. Luckily she missed, a 7-month-old baby might not remember that but that story is always going to be there,” Rosenbaum stated.
Subsequently, Billips faces accusations of Aggravated Assault, VUFA Violation, and several connected charges.
