In the summer of 2017, a seemingly random and tragic act of violence cut short the life of 29-year-old John Le. On the evening of July 29th, Le was walking from a pizza shop to a friend's apartment on the 2300 block of Haverford Road in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. As he was about to enter the building, he was confronted by a gunman and shot multiple times in the torso. His friend, who was inside the apartment, heard him yell, 'He has a gun!' before hearing the fatal shots.
The friend rushed to his aid and was administering first aid when police arrived, but Le's injuries were too severe. He was transported to Lankenau Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly revealed that it was not an isolated incident. Less than an hour before Le's murder, the same suspect was believed to have fired multiple shots at two people in the Overbrook Park section of Philadelphia. In that incident, the suspect had been seen acting suspiciously and peering into a house. When confronted by two individuals in a car, he fired at their vehicle 17 times, though thankfully no one was injured. Following the shooting in Ardmore, the suspect was last seen fleeing the area. Authorities released photos of the suspect to the public, described as a man wearing a red hoodie, a white T-shirt, and blue jeans, which led to numerous tips.
The suspect was identified as Derrick Rollins, 24, of Philadelphia. After an extensive manhunt, Rollins was apprehended on August 22, 2017, in Decatur, Georgia, by U.S. Marshals. He was extradited back to Pennsylvania to face charges for the murder of John Le and the attempted homicide in Philadelphia. The motive for the seemingly random acts of violence remained unclear, with police indicating that Rollins did not appear to know any of his victims. It was reported that only Le's cellphone was taken during the incident.
In March 2019, Derrick Rollins was convicted of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted homicide, and two counts of aggravated assault. The trial brought some measure of closure to the family and friends of John Le, who was remembered as a graduate of Lower Merion High School and Temple University with a passion for disc golf and tennis. Following his conviction, Rollins was sentenced to life in prison for the senseless and tragic killing.
