James Potts, 28, with addresses in West Chester, Downingtown and Philadelphia, was arrested Tuesday morning.
He is charged with first degree murder, reckless endangerment and other offenses in the killing of Towayne Uqdah, 23, of Philadelphia.
It happened at 2:00 a.m. January 27 at the corner of Chestnut and North Matlack Streets in West Chester.
Police say Potts opened fire, striking Uqdah nine times.
In the hail of gunfire, bullets also pierced the window of a residence where a couple was sleeping, and the coat of a witness at the scene.
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.
Prosecutors say Potts is a convicted felon who was on parole at the time of the shooting. He has prior convictions for drug dealing, firearms offenses, escape, assault and resisting arrest. They say Potts was living at a halfway house in Philadelphia and was supposed to be there at the time of the shooting, not in West Chester.
In statement, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said, "West Chester is a safe place today because James Potts has been arrested, locked up and charged with murder. Potts is a convicted felon and gun-toting drug dealer, a walking time bomb. The West Chester Police Department and the Chester County Detectives worked around the clock to crack this case. Working together, Chester County law enforcement quickly and efficiently tracked down this violent felon and took him off the street. We will not tolerate this type of violence in Chester County."
West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn said, "This was ambush on the streets of West Chester, in the area of residential dwellings and on the cusp of our Town Center. The arrest of James Potts is a critical and important first step. The department will continue its investigation."
