Person of interest in Philadelphia van shooting turns himself in

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say a man described as a person of interest in the killing of a motorist has turned himself in.

49-year-old Darnell Snell turned himself into the homicide unit Monday evening. Investigators say the killing may have stemmed from a dispute over a woman.

The incident, in which the driver of a car was shot and killed in front of his 17-year-old son, happened Monday morning.

Police say the victim had just dropped his 2-year-old child off at a daycare facility when he was gunned down in the 400 block of Germantown Avenue by a suspect who was driving a van.

Witnesses say the shooting happened with police officers nearby.

"You heard the five shots. Before we even turned around to look you saw a cop already with his lights on," said Chris McGraw.

"We all thought it was a machine backfiring, but they turned around and there was a guy laying on the ground and people screaming," McGraw said.

Police believe the van driver parked the Mercedes van outside the Candy's Kids Learning Academy daycare in at Tioga and Emeralds streets in Port Richmond after killing the 46-year-old victim.

The SWAT team, K-9 units, and even drones were deployed in the search for the gunman.

Neighbors say children were inside and their parents were in a panic.

"It's sad that the kids have to witness the cops going in there with guns and stuff," said Cristina Laureao.

Action News contacted the food service company that is labeled on the van, but that company declined comment.

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