On the evening of July 4, 2013, in Philadelphia, what should have been a night of celebration turned into a scene of violence that claimed the life of 41-year-old Robert Witherspoon, a Black/African American male. The incident also resulted in the death of another man, Terrell Holliday, and left a third, Brandon Garland, with gunshot wounds.
Earlier in the evening, Witherspoon and Garland had been seen at a local pizzeria. Not long after they left, gunfire erupted near the intersection of 72nd and Ogontz Avenues. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Witherspoon and Holliday lying on the ground. Holliday was unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Witherspoon, who had also been shot, was conscious when officers found him. They rushed him to a local hospital for treatment. The bullet that struck Witherspoon had hit his spine, causing permanent paralysis. Despite medical efforts, Robert Witherspoon succumbed to his injuries.
A third victim, Brandon Garland, was found a short distance away, also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to the same hospital for treatment.
The investigation into the triple shooting led police to identify Maalik Muhammad as the suspect. Following his arrest, Muhammad was tried for the shootings. In a 2013 trial, a jury found Maalik Muhammad guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Robert Witherspoon and Terrell Holliday.
