Police stood outside Copabanana minutes after a shooting that left a 31-year-old man dead.
Credit: Luke Chen , Luke ChenThe Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has released a possible motive and more details in the homicide that occurred near 40th and Spruce streets early Tuesday morning.
The alleged shooter, 26-year-old Corey Gaynor of the 1200 block of South 54th Street, thought that 31-year-old Timothy Cary made a remark about Gaynor’s girlfriend while they were inside Copabanana, according to the DA’s office. Gaynor then allegedly went outside to retrieve a gun, coming back and allegedly shooting the victim in his chest and torso outside the door of Copabanana at 1:30 a.m.
Gaynor was charged with murder Tuesday afternoon. Gaynor was also charged separately for aggravated assault in Tuesday’s incident because he allegedly assaulted a police officer during his arrest after he attempted to flee the scene, the DA’s office said.
Gaynor’s preliminary hearing is set for April 30, when the DA’s office will reveal the evidence they have linking Gaynor to the crime.
Gaynor is also charged with altering identification marks on a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, among other charges, and he has a history of criminal charges for possession of firearms and illegal drugs. He was sentenced to 11 and a half to 23 months of incarceration in 2009 for carrying a firearm in public in Philadelphia.
According to Philadelphia Police, Penn Police took the alleged shooter into custody near 40th and Pine streets, where Penn Police also found a semiautomatic gun that matches the ballistics from the scene. At least 10 shots were fired, police said.
Staff writer Cosette Gastelu contributed reporting.
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