A man was shot and killed early on Christmas morning in local campus eatery Philly Diner, located at 3925 Walnut St.
Twenty-five year old William Hurt -- a Philadelphia resident -- was pronounced dead at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at 10:10 that morning.
Jonathan Morales of Upper Darby, Pa., was arrested on Dec. 29 and was charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime in the shooting.
According to Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Mike Morrin, a group of approximately seven men entered the diner at around 3 a.m. on Dec. 25 and sat down to eat.
Shortly thereafter, a group of four men entered the restaurant. An argument ensued between the two groups, and a man in the second group fired one shot at Hurt, a resident of the 3300 block of Ridge Avenue.
The group of four and all uninjured members of the other party immediately fled the restaurant and Hurt was transported to HUP.
After surveying the scene, police spotted a 1992 Ford Explorer with a gun lying on the seat in plain view. The car was searched and another gun was found.
Morales, 28 -- the owner of the vehicle -- was arrested. The Philadelphia homicide division is currently investigating the case.
The manager of the Philly Diner refused to comment on the homicide.
While many Philly Diner customers were disturbed by the news of the killing, most said the event would have little effect on their willingness to return to the restaurant.
"I've been in Philly for four years, and Philly Diner is just a mainstay for this part of town," said Drexel senior Matt Miller, who eats at the diner several times a week. "It's a tough crowd in there at times, but it's a diner. I never really feel threatened while I'm there, and I still don't," even after the homicide.
"It just makes sense that there wasn't enough security because there aren't as many people" on campus during the break, added Jesy Burns, an employee of College Pizza, a neighbor of the Philly Diner. "But I think that [the police are] also probably not as on top of their game" during winter break.
