Brandon Ivory Agnew, a 32-year-old Black / African American male, was killed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after a quiet night at home turned suddenly violent. Online reports identify him as a gun violence victim who died on January 15, 2014, in Philadelphia, with news accounts placing the shooting the night before, on January 14, along the 5700 block of Hadfield Street or Hadfield Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.
According to reporting from the time, Agnew had been at home with his
girlfriend and three children when he received a phone call around 10 p.m. His uncle, William Rose, later said that Agnew went outside to speak with the person who had called him, and that was when the shooting happened. Other reports described him as being on or near the porch of a home when multiple gunmen approached and opened fire. Police said he was struck in the head, with reports indicating he was hit multiple times. Officers and investigators later worked the scene, where more than a dozen crime markers were visible, suggesting a heavy burst of gunfire.
Agnew was pronounced dead at the scene. His death left his family trying to preserve his memory for his children, who were described as missing their father every day. His uncle spoke publicly about the pain of the killing and the continuing violence in Philadelphia, saying the city’s streets felt like they were returning to the dangerous atmosphere of earlier decades.
At the time of the early reports, police had not publicly identified a motive. The shooting was described as an attack by multiple suspects or gunmen, but no names were released in the available online accounts. The case was later featured in a public appeal for information, with the City of Philadelphia offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
No publicly available online source reviewed identified an arrest, suspect by name, criminal charge, trial, or conviction in Agnew’s killing. The public-facing information instead points to a case in which investigators sought community help, urged anonymous tips, and continued looking for the person or people responsible for taking him from his family.
