PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl in Southwest Philadelphia nearly one year after the incident, authorities said Thursday.
Key Points
- Kani Hunt, 19, was arrested and charged with murder in the March 2024 shooting of 17-year-old Jada Gray.
- Gray was shot in the chest on the 70XX block of Elmwood Avenue and pronounced dead at the scene.
- The arrest followed a year-long investigation by Philadelphia homicide detectives.
Victim identified as 17-year-old Jada Gray
On March 29, 2024, at around 11:40 p.m., officers from the 12th District responded to a report of a person with a gun on the 70XX block of Elmwood Avenue. Upon arrival, they found Jada Gray, a 17-year-old Black female from the 72XX block of Passyunk Avenue, in the rear of the property with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Medics from the Philadelphia Fire Department pronounced Gray dead at the scene at 11:58 p.m., police said.
Arrest made more than a year later
After an extended investigation by homicide detectives, authorities arrested Kani Hunt, 19, of the 13XX block of North 10th Street, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Officials confirmed he was formally charged on Thursday with murder and related offenses in connection to Gray’s death.
Details surrounding the motive or events leading up to the shooting have not been released.
Legal proceedings underway
Philadelphia police did not specify which additional charges Hunt is facing beyond murder. It is unclear if he has retained legal counsel or when his first court appearance is scheduled.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has not issued a public statement regarding the case.