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The man responsible for shooting four people, including a 6-year-old, in what is believed to have been gang-related retaliation between the Fifth and Seventh Street gangs, has been sentenced.
A jury convicted Charles “C.J.” Rice, 19, of West Philly, of four counts of attempted murder and related charges Feb. 8. Court of Common Pleas Judge Denis P. Cohen sentenced him to 30 to 60 years behind bars May 24.
“What came out during trial was C.J. Rice had been shot before,” Assistant District Attorney Eric Stryd said. “He had been shot about three weeks prior to our case. No one was ever arrested on that case, but [the 17-year-old victim] was a person of interest in that case.”
The 17-year-old male was sitting outside with his family — his 35-year-old mother, 23-year-old sister and 6-year-old cousin when the gunfire erupted and wounded all four relatives at 9:35 p.m. Sept. 25, 2011 on the 1600 block of South 18th Street. There were even more children, who escaped without injuries, on the street that night, Stryd said. The victims’ injuries consisted of leg wounds. The 23-year-old also suffered a broken leg, which has resulted in some lingering pain.
Rice, who was also 17 at the time, was recovering from being wounded at a Fourth-and-Wharton-streets shooting in which authorities had believed the target of the latter shooting may have been involved, Stryd said. Rice told the jury he was recuperating in Southwest Philly during the quadruple shooting, but the jury didn’t buy it.
Aside from four counts of attempted homicide, Rice, who formerly resided on the 1600 block of South Orkney Street, also was convicted of four counts of aggravated assault, conspiracy of homicide, conspiracy of aggravated assault, as well as firearm violations for not having a license, carrying in public and carrying as a minor, according to court records.
However, the jury found his alleged co-conspirator Tyler Linder, 21, of the 400 block of Sigel Street, not guilty. His mother and employer confirmed he was in Northeast Philly the day of the shooting, Stryd said.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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