On a late Tuesday night in Philadelphia, a promising young life was tragically cut short. Merlos Mukaj, a 21-year-old male, was fatally shot on November 28, 2017. The incident unfolded on the 3500 block of Lancaster Avenue, where Mukaj was engaged in a heated argument with his girlfriend.
A 24-year-old Drexel University graduate named Joseph Howanski, who was in the vicinity, chose to intervene in the couple's dispute.
The situation escalated when Mukaj reportedly shoved Howanski and swung at him. In response, Howanski, who had a concealed carry permit, drew his firearm and shot Mukaj three times. Authorities were called to the scene around 11:40 p.m. and found Mukaj with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.
Howanski was taken into custody by homicide detectives for questioning and was subsequently arrested. He faced several charges, including murder, possession of an instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person. Following his arrest, he was jailed and denied bail. The woman involved in the initial argument with Mukaj was a Drexel University student, while Mukaj himself had been a computer science student at Rowan College at Gloucester County. Howanski had no prior connection to either Mukaj or his girlfriend.
