John Collins, a 70-year-old male, was killed in Chester, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1993, in a shooting that police described as an alley killing tied to a burst of gunfire between rival groups. Collins was identified as a church custodian, and the violence unfolded in the early morning hours in an alley across from the church where he worked. He was fatally shot during what investigators believed was not a random encounter but a deadly crossfire that left him caught in the middle.
The shooting happened at about 3 a.m. in the 1200 block of West Ninth Street, near an alley between Lloyd Street and Kane Street. Police said Collins was struck during gunfire connected to two groups who had come together in the area. Investigators believed the gunfire may have been part of a dispute between rival gangs in the Ruth L. Bennett and Lamokin Village housing projects. Around 12 to 15 shots were reportedly fired, and Collins was hit in the exchange.
Police quickly focused on three suspects: Darrell Burton, Warner Covington, and Braheim Goldsboro. Arrest warrants were issued for all three, and police said each was wanted on criminal homicide and related charges. Burton was arrested the next morning in the 1100 block of West Third Street, where police said he was found hiding inside a house. Covington was arrested at his home in the 2400 block of West Fourth Street. Goldsboro, however, remained at large at the time of the report.
The charges listed against the suspects included criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, possession of an instrument of crime, and criminal conspiracy. Police believed Collins was not the intended target and that he was killed after stepping into danger during the confrontation. The tragedy appeared to grow even more painful because of rumors that Collins had been shot while trying to protect or help a family member, though police disputed that account. A relative said Collins may have been trying to protect his son, but the investigating officer said that was not what happened.
In the end, Collins’ death was presented by police as the killing of an older church custodian caught in a violent neighborhood feud. The available online records show that at least two suspects were arrested shortly after the shooting and that a third was still being sought, but they do not provide a clear final outcome on trials, convictions, dismissals, or sentencing.
