Murder of Joseph ("Joey") Toms
The murder of Joseph ("Joey") Toms occurred on October 28, 2020 when 33-year-old white man Joseph ("Joey") Toms was shot and killed by two black males while he circled a block in his work van while looking for a parking space near his home.[1]
| Murder of Joseph ("Joey") Toms | |
|---|---|
 Victim Joey Toms | |
| Location | 2400 block of S Bouvier St, Philadelphia, PA |
| Coordinates | 39°55′17″N 75°10′35″W / 39.921400°N 75.176350°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Date | October 28, 2020 10:53PM[2] |
Attack type | Murder |
| Victims | Joseph ("Joey") Toms, white male |
| Assailant |
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Incident[edit]
According to CBS Philadelphia,[1]
The last few moments of Joey Toms’ life were spent doing what so many Philadelphians have done.
“Just waiting, basically circling the block for a parking spot,” Julie Toms, his sister, said.
On Oct. 28, around 11 p.m., two men approached Toms’ idling white work van, opened fire, and then ran off. Toms hit the gas and then crashed near the 2400 block of South Bouvier Street in South Philadelphia. The 33-year-old was then rushed to Jefferson Hospital.
“They had worked on my brother for two hours and that he had passed away,” Julie said.
The news, of course, was devastating to Toms’ younger sister Julie and the entire family. The toll was so stressful that she believes it led to the death of her other older brother, Jimmy Toms, just one month later.
“Until you are cleaning your brother’s blood off the van he was shot in, you don’t realize the trauma that puts your family through,” she said. “For Jimmy, it just became too much. He was literally at the corner store near his house and that was it.”
Now, Julie is glad Philadelphia police released surveillance video hoping it produces new leads in a case that so far doesn’t have any.
“We really believe that it’s kind of random,” she said.
The family believes the key is the suspect’s vehicle. Investigators say it’s a white sedan with dark rims, tinted windows, a sunroof, and a dented area on the front left quarter panel.
Philadelphia Police are still searching for Toms' murderers, and have released surveillance footage of the suspects and their white vehicle as well as put up a $20,000 reward for more information.[2] Anyone with information is urged to call 215-686-TIPS (8477).
