PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Police Department is searching for the shooter who allegedly killed a sanitation worker who was on the job. It happened along the 3300 block of Tudor Street near Rowland Avenue in Mayfair on Friday.
Police believe 35-year-old Ikeem Johnson was targeted. Investigators are still working to figure out what lead up to the shooting.
“It’s not normal around here,” Jazz Ransom said.
Neighbors in Mayfair heard the barrage of bullets Friday.
“First I heard probably four, maybe five gunshots,” Ransom said.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw says the shooting “wasn’t random.”
“We don’t believe it was random just based off the fact the suspect knew where the victim was, meaning at some point, was able to track either on foot or in a vehicle,” Outlaw said. “We don’t know at this point, but just based off the nature of the confrontation and how it occurred and how quickly it occurred, we believe it was intentional.”
Police say Johnson was riding in the passenger side of the trash truck when a gunman walked in front. The victim then exited the truck but almost immediately, police claim, the gunman began firing.
“The Streets Department mourns the loss of our dedicated employees,” Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said. “It’s tragic that he had to lose his life while serving the public and so we support the family and our deepest prayers go out to his family during this difficult time.”
Johnson worked for the sanitation department for five years.
“This gentleman and his two co-workers woke up and they were coming to serve the citizens and the City of Philadelphia,” Managing Director Tumar Alexander said. “This man didn’t go home to his family.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney arrived at the scene and gave his condolences to sanitation workers.
“If people don’t have access to firearms, whatever beef they had or the situation would have been handled in a different way,” Kenney say, “But this is the world we are living in now.”
The shooting happened around the corner from Lincoln High School and Austin Meehan Middle School. A school district spokesperson says two schools went on lockdown for about a half hour after the shooting.
There is a $30,000 reward that leads to an arrest.
The Streets Department says it will be working with police to ensure workers feel safe and protected on the job.
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