In the early morning hours of November 16, 2019, a tragedy unfolded in the Olney section of Philadelphia that cut short the life of 31-year-old Nisha Fortune-Wessels. An African American woman, she was discovered unresponsive in the driver's seat of her white Kia Sedan at approximately 3:08 a.m. The vehicle was parked in a lot across from Banana's 876 Bar and Lounge, located on the 5400 block of Rising Sun Avenue.
Emergency responders, including Philadelphia Police officers and PFD Medics, arrived at the scene to find Ms. Fortune-Wessels with two gunshot wounds. Despite their efforts to save her, the injuries to her chest and stomach proved fatal, and she succumbed to them at the scene. A resident of Knorr Street in Philadelphia, her death was ruled a homicide.
In the months following the shooting, investigators sought the public's help in identifying 'persons of interest' in the case. Authorities released surveillance footage showing two men they believed frequented the area of the bar where the incident occurred. The investigation progressed, and on Friday, June 26, 2020, an arrest was made in connection with the murder of Nisha Fortune-Wessels. The case is now considered solved by the Philadelphia Police Department, with the outcome pending trial.
