The youngest victim, 14-year-old Salaah Fleming, was sprawled in the living room with four bullet holes in his body. His best friend, 17-year-old Malik Ballard, had collapsed on the sidewalk outside, also riddled with three gunshots. Another 17-year-old, Khalif Frezghi, was slumped on the front porch with gunshot injuries. All three teens were pronounced dead at the scene.

“It was a very tough scene,” said Homicide Detective Robert Daly, who worked the triple homicide case.

A Gun Swap Deal Gone Wrong

According to Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope, the killings stemmed from a gun swap deal gone terribly wrong. On that dreary April afternoon, some young men from North Philly arranged to meet up with a crew from Germantown at a rowhouse in Lawncrest. The plan was for both groups to bring firearms and exchange them – a frequent tactic used by criminals to dispose of weapons linked to shootings.

However, the Germantown group intended to rob the North Philly guys of their guns and money, Pope explained. But something went haywire, and bullets flew in both directions. When the smoke cleared, three teens were slain and a 16-year-old injured.

Suspects From PNB Gang Charged

In the aftermath, police arrested two suspects – 19-year-old Kyzir Reeves and 23-year-old Tyree Lennon – charging them with three counts of murder and attempted murder each. Two other alleged accomplices, Taj Lennon (Tyree’s cousin) and Kevin Yip, remain at large. According to ADA Pope, all four suspects were members of PNB, a Germantown gang that coordinated the botched robbery scheme.

Evidence Presented at Preliminary Hearing

During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Pope presented evidence – surveillance footage, social media posts, rap lyrics, recorded phone calls – outlining Reeves’ and Lennon’s purported roles in the triple homicide. The deadly incident involved more juvenile shooting deaths than any other case in Philadelphia last year.

“This murder stems from a long history of PNB members committing crimes for clout, to feature in their own rap songs and promote work by their gang,” Pope stated in her opening remarks.

Unanswered Questions About Who Fired First

Yet critical questions around the mass shooting remain unanswered, mainly what ignited the initial gunfire and who pulled the triggers. The evidence suggests Khalif Frezghi shot first, wounding the 16-year-old, ADA Pope noted. In response, Salaah Fleming allegedly fired back at Frezghi. However, the prosecution hasn’t yet determined conclusively who fatally gunned down Fleming and Ballard.

Defense Disputes Evidence Quality

Moreover, the defense attorneys argued the surveillance camera footage only captured grainy, distant images of the defendants near the crime scene – insufficient to place them inside the house when shots erupted.

“I was surprised by how little evidence they presented in this preliminary hearing,” said Ellis Palividas, Kyzir Reeves’ lawyer. “How they identified those grainy videos is beyond me.”

Troubling Social Media and Song Lyrics

According to Pope’s presentation, the fateful shootings occurred inside Tyree Lennon’s residence. The night prior, Instagram messages showed Lennon plotting the robbery with an associate. “I was tryna see if u wanted to make some bread [money],” he wrote. “I got a lick [robbery] for someone tryna buy a gat [gun].”

Just days later in a recorded video call, Lennon seemingly alluded to his participation when an inmate friend inquired about his freshly shorn hair. “You know why,” Lennon replied cryptically. The friend also mentioned seeing Lennon’s mugshot on the news.

But Paul Dimaio, Lennon’s attorney, contended this only demonstrated the friend had watched a news segment showing his client’s booking photo.

ADA Pope further claimed “HopOutBlick” – Kyzir Reeves’ rap persona – referenced the triple homicide in song lyrics after the tragedy. She played one track in which Reeves and Taj Lennon (stage name “Baby Stu”) bragged about stealing Salaah Fleming’s firearm from the murder scene. During the audio clip, Tyree Lennon reportedly mouthed the lyrics along to the song.

Defense Seeks Dismissal Before Trial

Defense lawyers Palividas and Dimaio maintained the evidence failed to conclusively situate their clients inside the Palmetto Street rowhome when the fatal shootings transpired. Both attorneys plan to file dismissal motions before trial.

“I think this bodes very well for trial,” Palividas remarked. “My client has cause for optimism after this hearing.” He added prosecutors lacked definitive proof beyond social media posts used by police to target his client.

“They don’t have an ID other than the very officers whose entire purpose is to use their social media actions against them,” Palividas said.

Case Headed to Trial

In the end, Municipal Court Judge Christine M. Hope sent the double homicide case to trial, refusing dismissal and binding over all charges against Reeves and Lennon.

ADA Pope noted further evidence remains in the pipeline. Ultimately, she said, the case illuminates how drill rap lyrics and social media drive violence among Philadelphia’s youth gangs.

“This is what happens when children have guns,” Pope warned gravely. “It becomes a disaster.”

The Ties Between Drill Rap, Social Media and Violence

The tragic Palmetto Street shootings shine a spotlight on the entanglement of drill rap, clout chasing, and ruthless gang culture brewing among Philly’s inner-city teens. Drill music and social media enable violent young gang members to taunt rivals, threaten retribution, and glorify heinous acts – including murder.

For disenfranchised youth, social media platforms provide a sense of belonging and identity missing from their lives. By joining gangs like PNB, they gain a feeling of family, status and purpose often lacking in impoverished communities.

However, the digital domains fueling these gang affiliations also exacerbate real-world conflicts and violence. Gang drill rappers use songs, videos and posts to disparage adversary groups and perpetuate destructive cycles of vengeance.

The triple homicide horror story on Palmetto Street provides another tragic case study of how social media and music can incite gang warfare with devastating consequences. As clout chasing and drill rap continue driving Philly’s epidemic of teen killings, solutions remain complex and elusive. I sincerely hope you find this “Three Teens Dead After Gun Swap Goes Horribly Wrong In Philadelphia-What really Happened?” article helpful.

Skylar Lacey

Skylar Lacey, a Travel and Tourism Management graduate from Temple University, offers 5 years of experience in travel writing and airport logistics at PhiladelphiaAirport.net. Her expertise helps travelers make the most of their journeys through Philadelphia International Airport. Connect with her on Instagram for more travel tips and insights.

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