Candidate talks about shooting at Cedarbrook campaign stop
CEDARBROOK (WPVI) -- The political candidate whose campaign stop in the Cedarbrook section of Philadelphia turned into murder scene talked about the horrifying shooting that happened right in front of him.
Chris Rabb, a candidate for state representative, was out with his staff around 3:30 p.m. Sunday when they stopped to chat about Tuesday's primary with a group in the 1400 block of Vernon Road.
Alex Cherry, 21, was among the young men gathered there.
"We were impressed by this young man, and I asked my colleague to get his information. Moments after we got his information, he was shot in the head," Rabb said.
"An unidentified black male came around the corner, fired one time, striking him in the back of the head, and then stood over top of him and shot him several more times," said Capt. James Clark of the Philadelphia Police.
Cherry's father could be heard screaming in frustration at the scene.
"Somebody tell me who killed my son!" he said.
A few hours later, someone started firing from an SUV into a crowd gathered on the block around the corner where Cherry lived.
Cherry's friend, 18-year-old Elijah Frazier, was shot and killed. A 17-year-old suffered a graze would to the head.
Police say there's been an escalation in violence and drug activity in the area. They believe both victims were targeted because they were both associated with one of the rival gangs.
"Whether we hear that there was gang violence, or this person did that and so forth... I engaged that young man who was alive and had this vitality, and moments later he was a corpse," said Rabb.
Rabb's campaign staff continued to put flyers up in the area. The candidate revealed he had spent part of his morning in grief counseling.
"To his parents," Rabb said, then sobbed. "My deepest condolences. Thank you."
Rabb is the father of two boys, ages 9 and 12. They were supposed to be out campaigning with their father on Sunday afternoon, but there was a change of plans.
Police are picking up patrols in that area to try to prevent any more retaliation. There is video of the first murder, but investigators are working some leads and not releasing it yet.
