Philadelphia police identified a second suspect in a deadly South Philadelphia mass shooting in July in which “contagious gunfire” from multiple gunmen left three people dead and nine others injured.
An arrest warrant was issued for 24-year-old Christopher Battle, Philadelphia police announced on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025.
Philadelphia Police
Philadelphia Police
Left to right: A picture of Christopher Battle, the crime scene after the mass shooting.
Anyone with information on Battle’s whereabouts should call the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334. You can also submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Police identified Battle as a suspect in the shooting a day after they announced the arrest of another suspect, 22-year-old Terrell Frazier.
Frazier is charged with homicide, murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Frank Vanore provided a detailed timeline on the events that led to the shooting during a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 7.
Timeline of the South Philly mass shooting
On Saturday, July 5, around 5 p.m., a large gathering of 100 to 200 people took place on the 1500 block of South Etting Street for a party that was promoted on social media, Vanore said.
When officers arrived at the party to disperse the crowd, some of the attendees jumped on police cars, according to Vanore. Officials said two people were then arrested for assaulting police.
The next night, on Sunday, July 6, the large crowd of 100 to 200 people once again gathered on the 1500 block of South Etting Street for another party, according to Vanore.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Then on Monday, July 7, shortly before 1 a.m., a person attending the party pulled out a gun and fired, possibly in the air, leading other people to pull out guns and fire as well, according to investigators.
“There was no argument or no opposing party. We believe that one individual that was amongst their group had fired a gun. We believe it may have been in the air,” Vanore said. “That caused at least a dozen other people with firearms to then begin recklessly and really intentionally firing their firearms. I have no idea what all of them were firing at.”
Police responded to the shooting and found multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds.
Three of the victims, Zahir Wylie, 23, Jason Rese, 19, and Azir Harris, 24, died from their injuries. Nine other victims, including a 15-year-old girl, two 17-year-old boys, an 18-year-old man, two 19-year-old men, a 21-year-old man, a 23-year-old woman, and a 24-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds. A tenth victim was injured after falling to the ground while running away.
Investigators ultimately determined that 13 separate guns were fired and they collected over 140 pieces of ballistic evidence.
Police later released surveillance video and photos of three suspects in the shooting. The video shows gunmen firing their weapons on a porch while several people either run away on the street or duck for cover.
Investigators analyzed the ballistic, forensic and digital evidence, obtained videos of the shooting that were posted on social media, spoke with witnesses and received several tips. They then identified a suspect in the shooting as Terrell Frazier. A search warrant was issued for Frazier in West Philadelphia on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and he was taken into custody.
Court records show Frazier has an extensive criminal history. His attorney information has not yet been listed.
While Frazier is charged with murder, investigators have not yet determined if he was the gunman who killed the three victims. Vanore said they believe other arrests will be made and they continue to investigate.
Terrell Frazier, 22, was arrested and charged in connection to a mass shooting in which “contagious gunfire” from several gunmen left three people dead and nine others injured, Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore revealed on Thursday.
Vanore also said all of the shooting victims who survived were released from the hospital.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is in the process of reviewing all the evidence in the case, according to Vanore.
Victim’s father speaks out
The father of one of the victims killed in the July mass shooting said news of an arrest made and further progress made in the case brings mixed emotions.
“It’s relief, but it still doesn’t bring my son back. It’s a start, man. Justice is justice. We still want justice,” Troy Harris told NBC10 Friday.
Harris is the father of 24-year-old Azir Harris, who was shot and killed after gunfire erupted at a party along South Etting Street in Philadelphia’s Gray’s Ferry neighborhood.
The entire shooting was senseless, Harris said, and the unknown reason why it happened haunts him.
“Pray everyday, pray every night. It gets you through the crying at night and morning. It gets you through it,” he said.
Harris has spent the past month not only recounting the July 7 shooting but also, the shooting his son survived in 2018 when he was 17-years-old. The incident left him paralyzed.
“We went through real, real bad times with that. We didn’t live in a handicap-accesible house. So, I had to carry him everywhere. His brothers carried him up and down the steps, just to make him feel a part of the home,” he said.
Today, he said the way they carry his son looks different. It’s being done by sharing his story in hopes it makes a difference.
“I don’t know what is going on, man. I just want to stop the violence out there. It doesn’t just hurt the people who caught the bullets. It’s hurting all around. It hurts our community, everybody,” he said.
Anyone with information on Battle’s whereabouts should call the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.
You can also submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS.
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Attorney information for Frazier has not been made publicly available as of this writing.
As of Aug. 6, there were 136 reported homicides in Philadelphia in 2025, down more than 15% from the same time last year which ultimately saw the lowest number of murders in the city in a decade, according to police data.