Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Cheltenham Township Police Chief John Frye announced the arrest of Keenan Jones, 30, of Philadelphia, on multiple felony counts related to the shooting spree a the Walmart on 1000 S. Easton Road in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham Township yesterday, August 14. Jones is charged with Attempted Murder, multiple counts of Aggravated Assault, multiple counts of Recklessly Endangering Other Persons, Resisting Arrest, Person Not to Possess a Firearm, and Possessing an Instrument of Crime.
At 6:06 p.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, Cheltenham Township Police responded to 911 calls reporting multiple people having been shot inside the store. Police arrived to find five victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The defendant and his sister had fled the Walmart driving a Gold Pontiac Grand Prix in an eastbound direction on Cheltenham Avenue. Jones was observed exiting his vehicle at one point to discard a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, which was later recovered by police. Officers later recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun at that location. The magazine and chamber were both empty, police say, indicating that all rounds had been fired.
He returned to his vehicle and drove into the city of Philadelphia, where, in the 1300 block of East Sedgwick Avenue, he struck the back of an unoccupied police vehicle. The defendant took off on foot and was chased down by uniformed police officers. A violent struggle ensued, injuring both officers, before Jones was restrained.
The Cheltenham Township Police Department and Montgomery County Detective Bureau launched a joint investigation in the shooting. Video surveillance from the store as well as interviews with numerous witnesses revealed that the defendant and his sister were standing in a check-out line when he took her gun, walked toward the back of the line and fired a single round at a male at close range, striking him. The defendant then ran through the front of the store, firing multiple rounds and striking four additional people, including a Walmart employee, who he pointed the gun directly toward and struck her three times. All five victims sustained not life-threatening injuries. Additionally, a pregnant woman was knocked to the ground during the pandemonium and required medical treatment.
“Thanks to the response of the Cheltenham Police Department and the cooperation of dozens of law enforcement agencies and civilians, both inside and outside of the store, we were able to come together to bring someone to justice for a shooting in a very busy store,” said Steele. “It’s this kind of cooperation that is crucial to keeping our communities safe.”
“It was a good job by Philadelphia police who happened to be at the right place at the right time; they made this arrest initially thinking they were arresting somebody for trying to leave the scene of an auto accident and then realizing it’s a much more serious crime, a triple shooting,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said as reported by 6ABC.
The affidavit states Jones resisted arrest and a violent struggle ensued. During the confrontation, one officer suffered a fractured right wrist and another suffered abrasions, contusions, a black eye, and a sprained ankle. Other officers arrived to assist and Jones was taken into custody.
See Exclusive Video with Suspect apologizing from 6ABC
Authorities say following his apprehension, Jones attempted to kick out the window of the police vehicle and was subsequently shocked by officers with a stun gun. He was transported to Einstein Medical Center.
During his arraignment, Jones told the judge he hasn’t slept in five days and ate food that made him “feel strange.” He told the judge he suffers from mental issues and felt he was going to die “for no reason.”
Jones was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Christopher J. Cerski, who set bail at $1 million cash. The defendant was unable to post bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., Aug. 22, 2018, in front of Judge Cerski.