Police probe another homicide

Coatesville detectives are investigating if Thursday killing is connected to the double murder on Wednesday

The Coatesville Police Department is investigating the sixth homicide in the city that occurred early Thursday morning — a day after a double homicide.

Coatesville police responded Thursday at about 5:08 a.m. to the area of Modena Alley and Willow Alley for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, police observed a victim lying in the alleyway suffering from gunshot wounds.

Police identified the victim as Damon Eric Wylie, 50, of Coatesville. Police said Wylie was transported from the scene by ambulance to Paoli Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Detectives are investigating whether there is any connection between this homicide and the double homicide that occurred almost 24 hours earlier on Wednesday. Both investigations are ongoing.

Police were dispatched to the 500 block of East Lincoln Highway for a report of shots fired on Wednesday at 3:21 a.m. Upon arrival, police said they located David Wayne Fitzsimmons, 56, of Coatesville, in the back of an apartment, dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

Police said they also located William Chance, 46, of Philadelphia and Coatesville, who suffered from a gunshot wound. He was transported by ambulance to Paoli Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. Police said they reportedly discovered a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia inside the apartment.

“Once again, we will attribute probable cause of the homicide to the violent drug trade that still seems to affect the city of Coatesville,” Police Chief John “Jack” Laufer said on Wednesday in an interview with the Daily Local News.

No additional information was available on Thursday about the

recent string of homicides. There were no homicides in the city in 2013 and 2014. The first homicide since 2012 occurred in October 2015. Police made arrests in the first three homicides this year in Coatesville. According to police, those arrested were an associate of the victim.

The first homicide this year began as a robbery of an associate. A shooting claimed the life of a 22-year-old Philadelphia man on March 5. He was attending college in Coatesville and killed off campus.

The second homicide in the city this year was a stabbing on May 11 that took the life of a 55-yearold Coatesville man. An associate of his was arrested for homicide. Police also investigated two shootings that month.

The third homicide occurred on Aug. 26 when a 24-year-old man from Pottstown was shot 11 times, shortly after leaving the area where the victim conversed with the alleged suspect. Police said witnesses said the suspect allegedly sold drugs in the area. The relationship between the victim and the man arrested for homicide was unclear.

Police ask anyone with information about the latest homicides to contact Detective Kevin Campbell at the Coatesville Police Department at 610-3842300 or Chester County Detectives at 610-3446866. Anonymous tips can be submitted via text message to TIP411 (847411) with the key word “Coatesville” or by downloading the Coatesville Police Mobile Phone App. Visit Daily Local News staff writer Ginger Rae Dunbar’s blog about journalism and volunteering as a firefighter at FirefighterGinger.blogspot.com.