Man sentenced to 8 to 20 years in prison for shooting in 2023

A Chester man was sentenced to 8 to 20 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to assault and weapons charges in a May 2023 shooting at the Bennett Homes.

Kareem J. Handy Sr., 33, of the 300 block of Lamokin Street, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and prohibited possession of a weapon stemming from the shooting, as well as a second, unrelated charge of prohibited possession of a weapon, according to a 2022 filing.

A charge of attempted murder was dropped as a result of the plea bargain worked out by Assistant District Attorney Beth Ramos and defense attorney Kevin O'Neill. Each of the charges carried a sentence of 8 to 20 years in prison, and the trials were conducted concurrently.

Assistant District Attorney Matt Krouse also questioned Handy about the offer to make sure he understood the terms. The offer had previously been rejected, but was reconsidered at the suggestion of Common Pleas Court Judge Margaret Amoroso so that Handy could speak with his family before making his decision. Handy stated that he understood the terms and that by accepting the offer he was waiving his right to a trial.

According to an affidavit from Chester Detective Ryan Stewart regarding the probable cause for Handy's arrest:

On May 14, 2023, police heard gunshots in the 900 block of Tilghman and responded to find a gunshot victim in the yard between Copeland Place and Locke Terrace in the Bennett Homes.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in critical condition for emergency treatment.

Police found several shell casings at the scene and determined that several vehicles in the area had been hit by gunfire.

A video of the shooting was secured and shows the victim walking from an address in the 1500 block of West Ninth Street toward the 900 block of Tilghman Street while a second person approaches her.

After some time, the victim can be seen running south down Tilghman Street, then east down Ninth Street as the shooter extends his arm and fires across Tilghman Street toward John Street, the area the victim ran into. The fired shell casings were found in the area where the shooter was standing.

Several witnesses, including Stewart, identified Handy as the shooter. He was taken into custody on October 5 and preliminarily arraigned by District Judge Harry J. Karapalides. Bail was set at $1 million.

O'Neill said his client has been in custody since then.

Amoroso gave Handy credit for 11 months of time already served, plus seven days in July 2022 for the earlier weapons possession charge. Handy is not eligible for early release and must serve one year of rehabilitation supervision after serving his prison sentence.