Car meetup in Philadelphia ends in deadly quadruple shooting; victim's family seeks answers

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A car meetup in Philadelphia's Port Richmond section two years ago ended in a fatal shootout that left two women dead and two others injured.

Now, the sister of one of the deceased victims is asking for the public's help in solving her murder.

Melani Merejo-Medina describes her 22-year-old sister Pamela as a ray of sunshine.

"She was a really outgoing soul. There was not anywhere where we would go where she didn't know someone. And if she didn't know them, like she would get up from the table and she would say hi to them," she said.

On May 30, 2022, Pamela was with her best friend along the 2900 block of East Tioga Street just after 1 a.m.

"They were actually in the car about to leave because they were just not feeling the vibes of the car meetup. I think that's what it was, it was like a car meetup racing kind of thing," recalled Merejo-Medina.

Gunfire erupted at the meetup, and Pamela and three others were hit.

Pamela was pronounced dead at the hospital and 16-year-old Andrea De Los Santos was also killed. Two others were wounded.

Merejo-Medina says authorities told her that her sister and De Los Santos were not the targets.

"There was a guy that they were there to target, again I don't know who he is. I don't know the story behind that. But the police also told me that there were four shooters," she said.

That weekend was particularly violent. On May 29, 2022, just after 9 p.m., homes were sprayed with more than 30 bullets on Lawrence Street in North Philadelphia.

One man died and a woman was shot seven times but survived.

An hour later in Wissinoming, 37-year-old Gerald Parks and his 9-year-old son Jamel were shot and killed in their car outside the family's home.

The City of Philadelphia is offering up to $20,000 in reward money for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Pamela's death.

All you have to do is call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. All calls will remain anonymous.

"If that was your family member you would want anyone, anything to be out there to say something to have that peace, have that closure," said Merejo-Medina.