for BigTrial.net
It continues to be open season for murder in Philadelphia as an accused criminal who just got out of jail early this morning was gunned down on the grounds of the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Holmesburg.
At 1:59 a.m., Rodney Hargrove, 20, of West Oak Lane, was waiting at a bus stop across the street from the prison for a ride home, when he was forced to run away from an assassin riding in a black sedan.
Hargrove, who had just gotten out of jail on $20,000 bail, ran back to the prison grounds but the assassin was able to follow Hargrove in his car past a security guard and a checkpoint with an automatic arm. Sources say the guard might have been asleep.
Cops summoned to the prison over reports of gun shots found Hargrove lying on the ground and non-responsive from multiple bullet wounds. Medics who arrived at the scene pronounced him dead at 2:07 a.m. Police recovered 9 mm fired cartridge casings, two live 9 mm caliber rounds, and one .380 fired cartridge casing.
Police said the assassin fled south on State Road in that black sedan.
Hargrove had two prior arrests. On March 10th, he was arrested for receiving stolen property, carrying unlicensed firearms, fleeing or attempting to elude police, and carrying a loaded weapon.
His preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 26th, but he's not going to make it.
On March 11th, Hargrove's bail was set at $200,000 monetary, meaning he had to put up $20,000 yesterday to get out of jail.
Hargrove's previous arrest was on Jan. 23, 2020, for an alleged carjacking. Hargrove was charged with receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and driving without a license.
Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney told NBC10 that Hargrove had been released for about 45 minutes before he was gunned down.
Hargrove goes into the books as Homicide Victim No. 105 for this year, a pace 32% higher than last year, when the city had 499 murders; the highest total in 30 years, since the peak of the crack cocaine epidemic.
At this rate, Philadelphia, which is second in murders nationally behind only Chicago, will set an all-time high record this year of 658 murders.
It's quite a tribute to the progressive leadership of Mayor Jim Kenney, D.A. "Let-Em Loose" Larry Krasner, and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.