Anthony Lacey-Woodson: Shootings, Gang Feud, and Sentence

Anthony Lacey-Woodson, a West Philadelphia gang member known on the street as “Pistol P,” pleaded guilty to shooting nine people and killing three during a seven-month run of retaliatory violence in 2021, and in April 2025 a judge sentenced him to 45 to 90 years in state prison.¹

Born November 2, 2002, he was 18 when the shootings began in January 2021 and 23 at sentencing. The violence was tied to the 02da4 gang out of Cobbs Creek in Southwest Philadelphia and its feud with a rival group called 524.²

The Shootings

Prosecutors linked Lacey-Woodson to at least six shooting incidents between January and July 2021.

January 16, 2021: A woman was wounded on the 3800 block of Parrish Street. He was charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy.²
March 9, 2021: Fifteen-year-old Antonio Walker was shot in the chest and killed on the 5200 block of Pentridge Street as he walked to a track with his cousin, who survived.³
July 4, 2021: Lacey-Woodson and co-defendant Jalen Mickens fired roughly 100 rounds into a Fourth of July cookout at 60th and Sansom Streets, killing two and wounding at least two others.⁴
July 4, 2021: He was also charged in non-fatal shootings the same day on the 1600 block of South 54th Street and the 6000 block of Walton Avenue.⁵

Nine people were shot across those incidents. Three died. Prosecutors called him “a selfish and brutal killer” who “deserves to live in state prison.”⁶

The Three People Killed

Antonio Walker, 15, was a student at Freire Charter Schools and a track standout who had won four gold medals at the Penn Relays. Police identified him as an innocent bystander with no connection to the intended target.³

Sircarr Johnson Jr., 23, was a father, fashion designer, and owner of Premiere Bande, a West Philadelphia clothing store. He was hosting a free anniversary cookout outside his shop on July 4 when he was shot. Prosecutors said he had no gang affiliation.⁷⁴

Salahaldin Mahmoud, 21, a tow-truck operator, was the second person killed at the cookout. He had no connection to the gangs involved. He was the first cousin of State Senator Sharif Street’s wife.⁸

The Gang Feud Behind the Violence

Lacey-Woodson belonged to 02da4 (also referenced with the name FSB), a street group based in Cobbs Creek. Prosecutors said the July 4 mass shooting was revenge for a prior killing in the ongoing feud with 524.⁵ The group also ran a gun-trafficking pipeline that used straw purchasers to buy firearms from shops outside the city. The District Attorney’s office has since described 02da4 as “now-defunct” after the arrests and convictions of its core members.⁹

The Guilty Plea and Sentence

Lacey-Woodson pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to charges tied to the nine shootings and three deaths.⁶ On April 30, 2025, he was sentenced to 45 to 90 years in state prison. Speaking at his sentencing, he apologized and told the court that when he decided to carry out the shootings he was “filled with pain and a hope for revenge.”¹

He will not be eligible for parole until he has served the 45-year minimum.

Others Charged in the Case

Lacey-Woodson did not act alone. Jalen Mickens, his co-defendant in the July 4 mass shooting, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal conspiracy, and firearms charges and was sentenced to 22.5 to 50 years.¹⁰

Calvin Gatewood, the straw purchaser who supplied Lacey-Woodson’s firearms (Lacey-Woodson was 17 when the buying began and could not legally purchase guns himself), bought four weapons from shops in the Philadelphia suburbs. A Glock .45 caliber handgun he bought in October 2021 was later linked by ballistics to the July 4 double homicide. Gatewood pleaded guilty on March 7, 2025, to four counts of straw purchasing, one count of conspiracy, and related charges.⁹

Nasir Wells, initially a wanted fugitive, was convicted by a Philadelphia jury of first-degree murder in the killing of Antonio Walker, along with two counts of aggravated assault, conspiracy, and firearms violations related to the January 2021 Parrish Street shooting.¹¹ Tyheed Cooper and Fabian Creary were charged with conspiracy and aggravated assault in the same January 2021 shooting. Kimberly Johnson was charged with straw purchasing, conspiracy, and tampering with public records; her son, Ahmir Johnson, was charged with firearms offenses, conspiracy, and attempted murder in connection with an April 2021 shooting.²

1
The Philadelphia Inquirer. West Philly Gang Member Pistol P Sentenced for Shooting Nine People
2
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. DA Krasner, Gun Violence Task Force Announce Major Gang Bust in SW Philly
3
Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Antonio Walker, Track Star
4
CBS News Philadelphia. West Philadelphia O2DA4 Gang Bust Arrests
5
WHYY. Philadelphia Police Charge 8 in Cobbs Creek Mass Shooting
6
The Philadelphia Inquirer. West Philadelphia Gang Violence, Anthony Woodson
7
6ABC. Premiere Bande Store Owner Killed in West Philadelphia Shooting
8
WHYY. How Many More Must Die? Philly Lawmakers Plead for Help Reducing Gun Violence
9
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. DA Krasner Announces Conviction of Calvin Gatewood for Straw Purchasing
10
NBC Philadelphia. Philly Gang Member Sentenced to Up to 50 Years for 2021 Shootings
11
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. DA Krasner Provides Update on Efforts to Address Public Safety