Philadelphia police are looking to question a 39-year-old man in connection with the shooting of a mother and her 5-month-old baby inside their West Philadelphia home over the weekend, according to a law enforcement source.
Investigators have identified Faheem Weaver as a suspect in the shooting of his daughter and her mother early Sunday morning, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The woman and baby — identified by family members as Alayiah Hill and Yuri Weaver — were asleep inside their home on the 1500 block of North Robinson Street when, around 4 a.m., someone approached the door and sprayed black paint over their Ring camera, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
The gunman then entered the rowhouse and shot Hill multiple times in the stomach, and the baby once in the leg, Vanore said. Both were expected to survive, he said, but the mother remained hospitalized in critical condition Monday morning.
A warrant has not been issued for anyone’s arrest in the shooting, Vanore said, and the investigation continues.
Hill’s family could not be reached Monday.
Court records show that Weaver, of East Norriton in Montgomery County, has a history of domestic violence, and is currently out on bail after he was charged in October with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, making terroristic threats, and related crimes.
In that incident, Weaver is accused of attacking Hill inside of her Robinson Street home in late August. Hill told police that around 7 a.m., her ex-boyfriend kicked her down the stairs, and when she grabbed a 2×4 piece of wood to defend herself, he overpowered her, grabbed the wooden panel, and beat her legs with it, causing multiple lacerations, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.
A warrant was issued for Weaver’s arrest on Oct. 2, and he was taken into custody and charged Oct. 14. (It was not immediately clear why the warrant for the August incident was not issued until October.)
Bail magistrate Patrick Stack set bail at $75,000, and Weaver immediately posted the necessary $7,500 cash to be released, court records show.
The shooting comes as violence across Philadelphia has declined considerably in the last two years, with the city on track to record the fewest homicides since the 1960s. Still, shootings continue to occur in pockets of the city that have long experienced violence — and seen higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and other health issues.
Domestic-related attacks continue to be of concern to law enforcement officials.
Staff writer Jillian Kramer contributed to this reporting.