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Police ID Suspect, Victim In Rittenhouse Square Deadly Stabbing

By Kristen Johanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police have arrested a man in connection with a stabbing in Center City Sunday and they say it was all over a sports team.

Forty-year-old Steven E. Simminger has been charged for the stabbing death of 24-year-old Colin McGovern in Rittenhouse Square Park.

It happened around 3 a.m. near 18th and Manning Streets.

Homicide Captain James Clark says McGovern was walking with three friends after a night of bar-hopping.

"When the suspect walked passed them, he had on, I believe it was a New Jersey Devils hockey hat. They said something in reference to that. He then turned and said something along the lines of 'what did you just say,' it escalated from there."

Authorities say surveillance video captures the fight, and say, both parties threw fists, eventually Simminger jumped on top of the victim and stabbed him several times in the torso.

McGovern was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Investigators tracked down their suspect to the Veterans hospital, took him into custody, and charged him with murder.

Simminger is next due in court at the end of the month.

 

 

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