Update (Monday AM, 3/14): NBC10 reports that that the alleged killer is Steven Simminger, a homeless veteran originally from Media, Pa. and that the victim was Colin McGovern of Churchville. The argument that led to the deadly stabbing was indeed over hockey — Simminger was wearing a blue New Jersey Devils cap that sparked the incident.
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Original post (Sunday 3/13, 12:44 p.m.): A New Jersey Devils fan stabbed a Philadelphia Flyers fan to death across the street from Rittenhouse Square at around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, and hockey may have been the motive, according to a report.
Action News says that a 25-year-old from Bucks County was out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with friends when a man — described as a 5’8 African American man with a medium build — in a blue Devils hat approached the victim, seemingly randomly. He asked if the victim was a Flyers fan, and then attacked, prompting a brief altercation before stabbing him in the stomach and running away. The victim died at Hahnemann Hospital.
Suspect asked victim if he was a Flyers fan before stabbing him to death just off Rittenhouse square. Suspect was wearing NJ Devils cap.
— nydiahan6abc (@nydia_han) March 13, 2016
Here’s the full report from Action News:
Here’s more from NBC10, quoting police:
“There was a brief verbal altercation, a struggle ensued that lasted a few seconds, and by witness accounts, the offender stabbed the complainant,” Philadelphia Police Capt. Nicholas Smith said at the scene. “Then [the attacker] fled the area going southbound on 19th Street, then eastbound on Manning Street.”
Here’s the corner where the crime took place, via Google. It’s at South 19th Street and Rittenhouse Square. The stabbing apparently took place where you see the woman standing in the image below.
Several Philadelphia Flyers players live in the area, considered one of the safest and one of the most expensive areas to live in the city. Captain Claude Giroux owns a condo at 10 Rittenhouse Square, across the park from last night’s killing.
It’s expected that police will release surveillance camera footage later on Sunday, and we’ll hopefully have an image of the suspect to share. He remains at large today.
It’s certainly not an indictment of all Devils fans that this tragedy happened — this was just an absurd, senseless act of violence. Maybe this guy was looking for an excuse to do something like this; maybe he would have stabbed the victim no matter what. In any event, let’s hope Philadelphia Police area able to track down this guy.
