The shooting killed 15-year-old Seth Marshall and critically wounded a 16-year-old inside a Race Street grocery store.
PHILADELPHIA — A West Philadelphia man who police sources said had a permit to carry a concealed firearm was charged with murder after a shooting inside a neighborhood grocery store left one teenager dead and another critically wounded.
Philadelphia police announced the arrest of Jaquan Higgs, 22, in connection with the May 21, 2025, shooting on the 5400 block of Race Street. Higgs was charged with murder, attempted murder and related offenses. The charges marked a significant turn in an investigation that began after officers responding to reports of gunfire found two wounded teenagers inside the store.
The younger victim, identified as 15-year-old Seth Marshall, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 16-year-old boy was taken to Lankenau Medical Center in critical condition. Authorities did not publicly identify the surviving teenager in the reports reviewed.
Police were called to the store shortly after 2:15 p.m. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the business as they worked to establish what happened before the gunfire. Police sources said Higgs remained at the scene after the shooting rather than fleeing.
The evidence described by police sources complicated the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Those sources said both teenagers had firearms, and a gun belonging to Marshall was visible in his waistband. They also said surveillance footage did not show either teenager drawing a firearm before Higgs opened fire.
According to the account of the video provided by police sources, Marshall was near the front of the store and using his phone when he was shot. The 16-year-old was at the counter paying for food when he was struck. Those descriptions came from law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation and were not presented as findings by a court.
Police sources initially described Higgs’ actions as self-defense and said he believed the teenagers were preparing to rob the store. However, investigators later charged him with murder and attempted murder. The filing of criminal charges does not establish guilt, and the reports reviewed did not provide a detailed explanation from prosecutors of how they evaluated the reported self-defense claim.
Investigators recovered multiple firearms in connection with the shooting, according to the initial police-source account. One gun was found beneath a vehicle across the street after witnesses reportedly moved it from the store. Police sources said that weapon had been carried by Marshall. Another firearm was linked to the surviving teenager, while Higgs also had a gun.
Police sources said Higgs had no criminal record and was legally permitted to carry a concealed firearm at the time. The same sources said the teenagers had previous contacts with the criminal justice system and that Marshall was wanted on a weapons matter in Montgomery County. Those details do not determine whether the shooting was legally justified and do not alter the presumption of innocence that applies to Higgs.
The available reports did not provide a later court disposition in Higgs’ case or an updated medical condition for the surviving teenager. The murder and attempted murder allegations therefore remain charges unless and until resolved through the court process.
Author note: Last updated August 24, 2026.