What you need to know
- A 17-year-old boy searched in connection with a bowling alley in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which left one person dead and four others injured.
- Jamel Barnwell faces numerous charges, including murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault, stemming from Saturday night’s shooting in East Norriton.
- Authorities say the teenager and two other men entered Our Town Alley and three minutes later there was a physical altercation between them and the victims. Barnwell is the sole suspect in the shooting.
A 17-year-old man wanted in a deadly shooting at a bowling alley in Montgomery County was jailed Monday morning after surrendering overnight to face murder charges.
Saturday night’s shooting at Our Town Alley, formerly Whitaker Lanes Farm, also left four other people injured.
Jamel Barnwell of Upper Darby, accompanied by his parents, surrendered to police Sunday night, East Norriton police chief Brandon Pasquale told NBC10.
County detectives interviewed Barnwell and took him to the Montgomery County Jail, Pasquale said.
A detention order was issued for the teenager over the weekend, accusing him of first- and third-degree homicide, attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless danger, possession of an instrument of crimes and related offenses.
Officers in East Norriton, about 23 miles northwest of Philadelphia, responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the alley, where dozens of people, including children, were bowling.
Montgomery County Attorney’s Office said Frank Wade, 29, of Philadelphia, was found dead at the entrance to the bowling alley. An autopsy on Sunday concluded he died from multiple gunshot wounds and that his death was considered a homicide.
Four of Wade’s relatives (aged 19, 21, 26 and 31) were found injured. The victims were taken to local hospitals and subsequently placed in stable conditions. Detectives recovered 15 45-gauge cartridge cases and five projectiles, one on the roof and four on the ground, prosecutors said.
County detectives and local police gathered video surveillance interviews and witnesses and reported the finding that three men, including the 17-year-old from Upper Darby, entered the bowling alley and three minutes later there were a physical altercation between them and the victims.
Authorities said the teenager pulled a firearm with an extended magazine from his jacket and began firing. The three fled and left three mobile phones, one of which belonged to the suspect.
Pasquale said Monday that the other two people with Barnwell are not suspected of the shooting.
Syreeta Stanford told NBC10 that she was Wade’s wife, saying she was a father and aspiring cook and that they planned to open a food truck together.
“Frank was a good guy,” Stanford said. “He was a good boy. He was a happy boy. He loved family. He wasn’t on the street.”
Stanford said Wade had gone to the bowling alley to spend time with some people he knew.
“Right now I’m living a nightmare,” Stanford told NBC10. “That doesn’t feel real.”
District Attorney Kevin Steele said between 50 and 75 people, including young children, were on the bowling alley at the time, and some were hiding in a closet.
Witnesses reported hearing a dozen shots inside the building. One reported seeing a man break a window with a chair to get his children safe.
In a statement, Our Town Alley said the incident is rare and they are working with police.
“Our management and Town Alley staff are devastated by the violence that occurred at our establishment on Saturday evening, February 20, 2021,” the statement said. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and our entire community, which has been shaken by this unusual incident.”
The last homicide in East Norriton was at least five years ago, police said.
Barnwell was tried Monday morning and detained without bail. Online court records do not indicate any attorney who can comment on your behalf.