On a Sunday evening, September 10, 2017, the life of 20-year-old Branden Vincent, a male resident of Medary Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was tragically cut short. At approximately 7:09 p.m., Philadelphia Police officers responded to a call on the 2100 block of Chelten Avenue in the East Germantown neighborhood. Upon arrival, they discovered Vincent lying in the street, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head and torso.
He was immediately transported to Albert Einstein Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
The investigation into Branden Vincent's death led to the arrest of Michael Blackston, a 29-year-old man from Philadelphia's Nicetown neighborhood, on November 2, 2019. Blackston was charged with the murder of Branden Vincent as part of a larger investigation that connected him to a total of five homicides that occurred between 2011 and 2017. The additional victims were identified as Saleem Garland, Gary Wilson, Kristin Freemon, and Michael Cousette. The charges filed against Blackston in connection with Vincent's death included Murder, Possessing Instruments of Crime, and various firearm offenses.
In a further development, a second suspect was taken into custody on October 13, 2023, in connection with Branden Vincent's murder. The cases against both Michael Blackston and the second suspect are still pending trial. The Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney's Office have been actively investigating these cases, working to bring a resolution for the families of the victims.
