Sean Toomey murder: Suspects held on murder charges in fatal shooting of Philadelphia teen

Suspects in shooting death of Philadelphia teen held on murder charges

Two 17-year-olds charged with murder in the slaying of 15-year-old Sean Toomey are facing a judge for a preliminary hearing, months after the teen was shot in the head while unloading a case of water from his family's car in March.

PHILADELPHIA - The two teenagers charged with murder in the slaying of a 15-year-old in Philadelphia faced a judge for a preliminary hearing on Thursday. 

Sean Toomey, 15, was killed while he was unloading a case of water from his family's car on the 6200 block of Mulberry Street in March 2022. 

Police say Toomey was shot in the head while he was trying to run away from an attempted carjacking involving two suspects. 

Daniel Gardee and Saahir Teagle, both 17 years old, were charged with murder for the deadly shooting months later in June 2022. 

Police release images of suspects in murder of 15-year-old Sean Toomey

Police have released photos of two suspects wanted in connection with the murder of Sean Toomey. The 15-year-old victim was retrieving a case water from his family's car when he was shot and killed in front of his Philadelphia home.

During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, a homicide detective played a compilation of videos of Gardee and Teagle, and a third individual walking on the night of the murder. The videos show Gardee and Teagle together in the minutes before and after Toomey was shot.

That third individual is in federal custody on unrelated charges and testified in court as a federal informant. He claimed that the group set out that night to steal a car, but he chose to leave Gardee and Teagle after Gardee grabbed a woman in an attempted robbery outside of a bank ATM. On his walk back to Teagle’s home, the informant testified that he heard a gunshot.

The informant said when Teagle and Gardee met back up with him later at Teagle’s house, Gardee told him, "I shot a bull." Later that night, when he was playing the video game Grand Theft Auto, the informant said Teagle told him, the "bull started screaming like a GTA character."

After Toomey’s death appeared on the news a few days later, the informant testified that the "truth came out" and Gardee admitted to him that he shot a kid that night.

'Enough is enough': Community comes together to call for justice in killing of 15-year-old Sean Toomey

A rally was held Tuesday for 15-year-old Sean Toomey who police say was shot and killed outside his family's house in Wissinoming last month. Investigators believe Toomey was gunned down while walking to his father's car. No arrests have been reported.

"We have individuals going around carjacking, robbing cars, robbing at ATMs, this could be you, one of your family, one of your kids, just remember that," says John Toomey.

He got emotional after the hearing while speaking about his son, Sean.

"Just another good kid with a good heart, and always had a smile on his face, which is one of the things I miss most, is his smile and his laugh."