The Richard J. Ricketts Center in Pottstown saw dozens of people racing for safety on the night of February 26.
A woman who did not want to be on camera tells how gunfire rang out on the basketball court.
“Honestly, I thought, ‘It was fireworks. It’s not a big deal’. That is, until my grandson came down the stairs and said, ‘Grandma, did you hear that? It was gunshots,’ and that’s when the helicopters came and the sirens started,” explained the woman.
More than a week later, authorities arrested Norristown resident Lamar Roosevelt Lewis, claiming he was the primary instigator.
According to court documents, charges were filed a day after the shooting, but Lewis eluded officials for a week.
A camera near the basketball court caught the 21-year-old bringing a group of seven masked males to the court. According to authorities, Lewis confronts a man in his twenties, only named as victim 1, before punching him. Then the rest of the group gets involved.
The man manages to escape from the group, but three men draw their firearms.
Four gunshots are fired, though it is unknown who fired them, hitting the victim in the hand and a second man in the side.
“It seemed to be specific to whoever was on the court,” said the woman.
The police have discovered that it was a targeted act of violence.
69 News has arrived to learn. Tyshaun Harvey is friends with Victim 1. Harvey is in prison for shooting and killing Nahmir Baird, 22. Baird is Lewis’ cousin, and authorities believe Lewis has promised to avenge his killing.
According to authorities, he proceeded to Pottstown with only one objective in mind: to harm the victim.
“I have no regard for individuals like that. That isn’t how we should be doing things. We have enough problems in the world for people to select something like, ‘Oh, he wounded my cousin,'” the woman remarked.
Lewis was taken into custody in Miami Beach, Florida. He was staying at an Airbnb and surrendered peacefully.
He is charged with two charges of aggravated assault and 26 counts of recklessly endangering another person.
According to police, the 21-year-old had a firearm, which Lewis is not permitted to have as a felon.
They are hunting for more people engaged in the event and requesting that anyone with information contact them.