Chester Police: Two Men Dead After Fight Leads To Shooting At Delaware County Gas Station
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- Two men are dead after police say gunfire erupted at a gas station in Chester. The incident happened just after 4 a.m. Saturday at the Sunoco gas station at Kerlin and West 9th Streets.
"Officers received a call for a large fight in the establishment and it spilled into the parking lot," Chester Police Commissioner Otis Blair said. "One of the deceased discharged his weapon and dropped where he was standing and another was able to drive away and passed while he was driving."
That Chevrolet Impala police say he was driving, lined with apparent bullet holes, was found about half a block away on 10th Street.
"It appears to be a beef between several individuals," Blair said.
Police identified the victims as 29-year-old Tahriq Doward and 30-year-old Lasantos Saunders.
The nature of that argument is unknown at this time, but Chester police say that Doward and Saunders shot each other.
Two men -- 21-year-old Jaquail Dale and 29-year-old Lamont Mallory -- were arrested in connection to the incident. Police say Dale and Mallory aided in robbery and assault of Saunders and have been arrested and charged with robbery, aggravated assault, among other charges.
Police say Dale and Mallory will not be charged for the murder of Saunders, however.
Detectives recovered two weapons from the scene.
John Thompkins has lived in Chester for 20 years and says he is no stranger to gunfire.
"I retired from the military and it's worse. If it's not Philadelphia, it's not New York, it's Chester," he said.
Neighbors say they would like to see reduced hours of operation at some of the businesses.
Blair says this marks the fifth homicide in Chester since the start of 2020. Now police and family members of the victims are hoping for answers.
