Brookhaven man charged in fatal shooting of Norristown man

NORRISTOWN — A Delaware County man was taken into custody on Thursday to face homicide charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a Norristown man last weekend.

Marquan “Trey” Banks, 25, of the 1600 block of Powell Road, Brookhaven, was awaiting arraignment on charges of first- and third-degree murder, person not to possess a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the alleged 7:34 p.m. Jan. 11 fatal shooting of 37-year-old Jermaine Pierce.

The fatal shooting occurred in the 500 block of Noble Street in Norristown.

Banks was arrested without incident at 1 p.m. Thursday at a residence in Chester, Delaware County, by members of The U.S. Marshals Service, Norristown police, Montgomery County detectives and Chester police.

Banks will be held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility without bail while awaiting a preliminary hearing on the charges.

Detectives identified Banks as the shooter.

But authorities also issued an arrest warrant for Isaiah Bell, 29, of the 1200 block of West Washington Street in Norristown, on firearms and theft charges in connection with the incident.

District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Bell “should be considered armed and dangerous” and that anyone who sees him should not approach him and should call 911. Bell is described as Black with black hair and brown eyes and 5-feet 6-inches tall and 140 pounds.

Anyone with tips about Bell’s whereabouts should call county detectives at 610-278-3472 or Norristown police at 610-270-0977.

The investigation began last Saturday when Norristown police responded to a report of a shooting at the Noble Street location and found Pierce’s lifeless body, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective Anthony Caso and Norristown Detective Stephen Sowell.

Detectives also found four 9mm Belom brand fired cartridge casings and one Hornady 9mm Luger fired cartridge casing as well as two live rounds of Hornady Luger ammunition on the ground near Pierce’s body.

An autopsy determined Pierce suffered a single gunshot wound to the face and the death was ruled a homicide.

“Police conducted a neighborhood canvass of surveillance footage in the area of this shooting and found three different surveillance cameras had captured portions of Pierce’s murder,” Caso and Sowell alleged in the arrest affidavit. “The footage from these cameras assisted detectives with the movements of Pierce, numerous persons of interest and the vehicle utilized in this murder.”

The surveillance footage depicted Banks and two other men walking together south on Noble Street heading toward Airy Street when they encountered Pierce and Bell walking in the other direction, according to court documents.

As one of the men in Banks’ group stopped to greet Bell, Banks pulled out a firearm and shot Pierce, detectives alleged. Bell was observed running to the victim, searching him and then standing up and firing toward the fleeing Banks and his two companions, according to detectives.

In court documents, authorities said Banks has “an extensive criminal history dating back to 2013,” including drug and firearms violations. In September 2022 Banks was convicted of simple assault and was sentenced to probation in connection with a domestic violence incident in Lower Merion. As a result of that conviction, Banks was prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to court documents.

A conviction of first-degree murder, an intentional killing, carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. A conviction of third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice or hardness of heart or recklessness of consequences, carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman and co-prosecutor Margot Weitz are handling the homicide case. Court records did not indicate if Banks has retained a lawyer.