PHILADELPHIA (August 12, 2024) — District Attorney Krasner and members of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit announced on Monday that defendant Arshad Curry (DOB 4/1/2002) pleaded guilty to multiple charges stemming from his role in the murder of three teenagers and the non-fatal shooting of a 50-year-old father and 19-year-old male in 2021. Curry also fired upon two Philadelphia Police Officers responding to the scene of one of the incidents.
Curry, who is affiliated with a street group called the Young Bag Chasers (YBC), was convicted of three counts of Third Degree Murder (F1), two counts of Conspiracy (F1), two counts of Attempted Murder (F1), and two counts of Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer (F1).
The first two murders occurred on the afternoon of July 21, 2021, near 56th and Vine Streets in the city’s Carrol Park section. Curry and a co-conspirator, Raheis Sherman, ambushed three teenagers by opening fire and killing 16-year-old Kailyn Johnson and 18-year-old Tommie Frazier. 16-year-old Damon McNeil was shot and seriously wounded in the attack. The three teens were not the intended targets.
The third murder occurred on the evening of September 16, 2021, on the 2900 block of Weikel Street in the city’s Port Richmond section. Curry and an unknown co-conspirator chased 19-year-old Sidney Sessoms into the Sessoms residence before fatally shooting the teen in the chest. Sessoms’ father was also shot multiple times, sustaining serious injuries.
Curry also opened fire on two police officers responding to the Weikel Street shooting, although they did not sustain any injuries. Curry fled the scene but was quickly taken into custody by police after he was located underneath a parked vehicle in that neighborhood. Curry’s crime gun and cell phone were recovered. Investigators utilized cell phone data to link Curry to the July and September 2021 murders. This forensic evidence played a key role in securing Curry’s guilty plea.
“I applaud the excellent prosecution of this case by Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope,” said DA Krasner. “Thanks to her work, a significant driver of gun violence has been taken off of the streets. This case is also a testament to the power of modern law enforcement techniques. By improving law enforcement’s forensic capabilities, we can solve more cases quickly and hopefully prevent more tragedies like this.”
“Thanks to the invaluable investigative work of the Philadelphia Police Department and other law enforcement partners, Curry’s sentencing marks the fifth conviction of a Young Bag Chasers member,” said ADA Cydney Pope. “I also want to commend the incredible courage of Kailyn Johnson’s grieving mother, who helped with this investigation and endured harassment from members of YBC after her son’s murder. Lastly, I want Philadelphia residents to know that these dangerous individuals will spend many years behind bars for their disregard of public safety.”
The Hon. Diana L. Anhalt sentenced Curry to 42.5-85 years of state incarceration on August 2, 2024.