Philadelphia Man Held for Court in Shooting Death of Mohammed Rahman Outside Upper Darby Mosque

– Philly man held in fatal shooting outside Upper Darby mosque
– Fatal shooting outside Upper Darby mosque.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : A Philadelphia resident, Herman Stigall, has been ordered to stand trial on multiple charges related to the shooting death of Mohammed Rahman outside a mosque in Upper Darby last year. Stigall, a 20-year-old residing on Larchwood Avenue, faces charges of first-, second-, and third-degree murder, robbery, and firearms offenses in connection with the killing of the 65-year-old victim on October 29. Additionally, Stigall has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, firearms offenses, receiving stolen property, and fleeing from the police in a separate incident that occurred on December 29, the day he was apprehended.

During the hearing, Detective Sgt. Matthew Rowles testified before Magisterial District Judge Harry J. Karapalides. Rowles revealed that he had been called to the Masjid Al-Madinah Mosque on South 69th Street around 7:45 or 7:50 p.m. on the night of the shooting. Upon arrival, he discovered Rahman’s lifeless body, covered by a sheet, with a gunshot wound to his chest. Four fired cartridge casings were found near the crime scene. Rahman was pronounced dead at the scene, and a subsequent autopsy confirmed that he had succumbed to a single shot to the chest. The death was ruled a homicide.

The investigation into the incident led detectives to gather evidence, including video footage from the mosque’s exterior and surrounding areas, as well as cellphone records belonging to both the victim and the suspect, Stigall. Rowles described a portion of the video, which captured Rahman arriving at the mosque in a white 2018 Toyota RAV4 at approximately 7:43 p.m. Just one minute later, a physical altercation between Rahman and an unidentified individual occurred outside the victim’s vehicle. As the altercation escalated, the perpetrator entered the driver’s seat of the RAV4, prompting Rahman to run around the car and attempt to open the passenger door. In a tragic turn of events, Rahman collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest, as the RAV4 sped away.

Further investigation revealed that Rahman’s cellphone was left in his SUV, and detectives were able to trace its location to a sewer at Cecil Street and Washington Avenue. The abandoned RAV4 was discovered at Cecil and Webster streets, approximately two blocks north of where the phone had been traced. By analyzing Stigall’s cellphone data, investigators were able to track his movements in and out of the township on the night of the incident. It was determined that Stigall’s phone number matched the one traced earlier, and the suspect himself confirmed this during his arrest.

Video footage from various locations, including St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Powell Lane, provided crucial evidence in linking Stigall to the crime. The videos showed a man wearing ripped dark pants with his hands concealed in the sleeves of his shirt or jacket. This same individual was observed hiding behind a dumpster outside the mosque just moments before the shooting. The movements of Stigall’s cellphone were found to align with the suspect’s actions depicted in the videos. Additionally, in a video captured in the city after the shooting, Stigall’s phone screen illuminated at the same time it was in use.

Initially, investigators were perplexed when the suspect seemed to vanish from video surveillance shortly after the shooting. However, they later realized that Stigall had simply returned to his address, located eight blocks away from where the abandoned RAV4 was discovered.

The capture of Stigall occurred on December 29 when Detective Sgt. Rowles spotted him driving a stolen Nissan Altima in the opposite direction on Market Street. Stigall made a left turn onto 69th Street, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. When Rowles activated his lights and another detective exited the vehicle, ordering Stigall to stop, the suspect instead accelerated. In a harrowing turn of events, the detective had to leap over the hood of the speeding car to avoid being struck. A high-speed chase through Philadelphia ensued, with Stigall driving on sidewalks before eventually joining Interstate 76. The pursuit culminated in a multi-vehicle crash, prompting Stigall to flee the scene. However, Philadelphia police managed to apprehend him within an hour.

During the chase, Sgt. James Kellar, who was part of the pursuing officers, observed Stigall driving the stolen Nissan, which was owned by Lyft. Kellar also noted that the suspect was holding a gun. The weapon, identified as a homemade ghost gun, was subsequently recovered and handed over to Sgt. Rowles. Both the four fired cartridge casings found at the crime scene and the gun retrieved from Stigall were forensically matched.

Stigall’s formal arraignment is scheduled for March 27 at the Delaware County Courthouse in Media. He is currently being held in custody at the county jail in Concord. This tragic incident has left the community in shock, emphasizing the importance of addressing gun violence and ensuring the safety of all residents in Upper Darby and across America..

– Philly man held in fatal shooting outside Upper Darby mosque
– Fatal shooting outside Upper Darby mosque involving Philly man.