Crime
Victims killed in shooting on Potomac Street identified, suspect Michael Moore arrested
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victims killed in a tragic Thanksgiving morning shooting on the city’s East Side as 24-year-old La Vontay Drummer-Simms and 27-year-old Devin Lavalais.
San Antonio police responded to the incident, which unfolded in the early hours of Thursday at a residence in the 600 block of Potomac Street near Dignowty Hill.
According to SAPD Chief William McManus, a group of individuals had been gathered at the home since Wednesday.
The situation escalated when a man, while leaving the house, suddenly began shooting. Police have not yet determined the motive behind the attack.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene.
The other two victims, men in their 20s, sustained injuries of unknown severity and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Authorities detained a suspect, identified as Michael Moore, a few blocks away near East Houston Street and North New Braunfels Avenue shortly after the shooting.
He has since been charged with capital murder of multiple persons and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Chief McManus described the incident as a senseless act of violence, and investigators are working to piece together the events leading up to the shooting.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the San Antonio Police Department as the investigation remains ongoing.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.