Man charged in Bright Hope homicide
POTTSTOWN >> Police have arrested 20-year-old Armani Cortez Rhedrick and charged him with the shotgun slaying of 31-year-old Otis Harris Monday morning in the Bright Hope housing community.
The shooting occurred minutes after a physical altercation between Rhedrick and Harris’ nephew, Rayshawn McKay, outside McKay’s home on Scott Street, according to a release issued Tuesday night by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.
Rhedrick’s address was listed on West King Street, just a few houses away from the scene of the shooting.
Police were called to the scene at 8:27 a.m. and, upon arrival, found Harris, who had been shot in the head.
“He was pronounced dead at the scene. Three fired shotgun shells were recovered in the area of Harris’ body,” according to the release.
An investigation revealed that after the altercation, McKay returned home bleeding from his nose and mouth and told his uncle what had happened.
“Harris then went outside and three gunshots were heard by McKay and other witnesses,” according to the release. “Rhedrick was also observed carrying a long gun wrapped in a blanket before he got into a silver Hyundai sedan to leave the scene. “
The release makes no mention of how Rhedrick was found or apprehended and the district attorney’s office does not
permit Pottstown Police to comment on homicide investigations.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s office conducted an autopsy Monday.
“The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled homicide,” according to the District Attorney’s office.
Rhedrick was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime.
He was arraigned by District Judge Suzan Leonard. Bail is not available for firstdegree murder, and Rhedrick was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7 at 11:30 a.m. before District Judge Scott Palladino.
The shooting occurred Monday at about the same time Barth Elementary School students who live in Bright Hope were walking to school, two blocks away.
According to Barth Principal Ryan Oxenford, it is believed that some students may have seen Harris’ body and even heard the shots, although it is unknown if any witnessed the homicide itself.
“We had a number of families contact us and let us know what their children had seen and heard,” Oxenford told MediaNews Group.
The school called in an additional psychologist and the staff is watching students for signs they may have been traumatized by the experience, Oxenford said.
The homicide marks the borough’s fifth this year — two more than in all of 2018.
Pottstown also started the year with a murder, a stabbing on the 500 block of North Franklin Street on Jan. 7 in which Joshua Shupard, 20, of Gilbertsville, was stabbed by Sean Emmell, 24, of Pottstown. Last month, Emmell confessed to the killing.
On Easter Sunday, Joshua Smith, 25, of Pottstown was gunned down on Industrial Highway and a suspect escaped after a crash at Wilson and High Street led police to search the area. That homicide remains unsolved.
Several days ago, police arrested Derrick Goins, 26, of the 300 block of West Street, the fourth and final suspect, in the March 30 gunshot slaying of Keith Robinson, 41, who was killed as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car in the 100 block of North York Street.
One day earlier, Darryl “Omar” McMillian, 37, of the 100 block of North Charlotte Street, was sentenced to a total of 25-to-50-years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder and person not to possess a firearm in connection with the 1 a.m. April 16 gunshot slaying of James Madison, 41, his roommate in a fight over drug money.
In addition to the homicides, there has also been no shortage of shootings.
In March, a dispute among 8th grade girls at Pottstown Middle School devolved into an incident in which the West Street home of one girl was hit with a hail of bullets.
In early April, Makael Bevins and Ahnile Fountain, both 19, were apprehended after a short foot chase and charged with attempted murder and firearms offenses in relation to that incident.
On June 24, 38-year-old Christopher Weller was found shot in the stomach in the kitchen of a home on West Sixth Street.
On Aug. 20, Rashaan Rodgers, 28, of Pottstown, was found shot in front of a home on Third Street near the intersection with Manatawny Street and just steps away from an entrance to Memorial Park and its Fountain of Youth Spray Park.