Clinton Quarles , Linda Beeks Obituary, Death; – Authorities identified the individual involved in a tragic incident on Thursday, where three individuals lost their lives in West Oak Lane. The event is being investigated as a murder-suicide, reportedly stemming from a dispute between neighbors, as stated by officials on Wednesday afternoon.
The victims, 77-year-old Clinton Quarles and 76-year-old Linda Beeks, were discovered with gunshot wounds on the steps of their rowhouse located in the 7300 block of East Walnut Lane shortly before 4 p.m. Alvinn Berry, 66, the neighbor who allegedly shot the couple before taking his own life, was found deceased beside them, having suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
According to authorities, the three individuals were neighbors who shared the front steps of their residences. Quarles and Berry were pronounced dead at the scene, while Beeks, who was still alive upon the arrival of law enforcement, was transported to Jefferson Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Witnesses reported to the police that a disagreement had occurred between the couple and Berry, which is believed to have instigated the violent confrontation. Investigators noted that several shopping bags were scattered at the scene, suggesting that the couple had recently returned from shopping when the shooting took place.
On Thursday morning, the area was quiet, with only the soft sound of light rain breaking the stillness of the tree-lined street. One resident remarked that many of the individuals living on the block had resided there for decades, primarily consisting of retirees.
A neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous for safety reasons, mentioned that while she did not know Quarles or Berry well, she remembered Beeks as a warm and devoted gardener. She recounted the shock she felt upon hearing the gunfire on Wednesday afternoon, estimating that eight or nine shots were fired, followed by another shot a few moments later.
After the shooting ceased, she ventured outside to join a gathering of onlookers and witnessed someone being transported from the residence on a stretcher. The woman, a resident of the block for 25 years, characterized the neighborhood as a close-knit community.
