A man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2022 murder of a teenager in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Wednesday.

On August 1, 2024, a jury convicted 26-year-old Damir Richardson of murder and possession of an instrument of murder in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Carissa Bright. Richardson was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On January 14, 2022, Bright was sitting in the back seat of a vehicle in the 6500 block of Ross Street. Richardson then drove his Honda Odyssey alongside the vehicle, pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting Bright in the head and chest. Richardson then drove away from the scene.

Bright was later pronounced dead. Investigators believe Bright’s boyfriend, who was sitting next to her at the time of the shooting, was Richardson’s intended target. Police said none of the teens who witnessed the shooting are cooperating with the investigation.

Police eventually identified Richardson as a suspect. Investigators said two 9mm rifle shell casings found at the scene matched another shell casing lodged in the windshield of the vehicle Bright was riding in. Investigators also said cell site analysis, surveillance video and DNA on the Honda Odyssey’s steering wheel led them to Richardson.

Several hours after killing Bright, Richardson drove to Gloucester Township, New Jersey, pulled out a gun and fired shots at his ex-girlfriend’s house. No one inside the house was injured. Gloucester and Philadelphia police later determined that the fired shell casings from the Gloucester shooting matched those found at the Germantown crime scene.

Richardson was later arrested on July 23, 2022, after being extradited from California, where he had fled following the two shootings.

“Thank you to Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crump of our Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit for her skillful prosecution of this case,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “This case is an excellent example of law enforcement cooperation that resulted in taking an extremely dangerous individual off the streets. My office worked hand-in-hand with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Gloucester Police Department to build a strong case against Mr. Richardson. Thanks to this cooperation, this defendant no longer poses a threat to the community.”