Security Guard Charged With Murder In LOVE Park Shooting



Alex Lloyd Gross Photo -Delaware Valley News.com File photo Police headquarters

by Alex Lloyd Gross

Nov. 10, 2021

A security guard who was working an unarmed patrol for the set up of Christmas Village is under arrest, charged with murder and firearms charges.   On November 9, 2021 at 8:46 PM he was working and  protecting an area closed off to the general public.  A male, identified as Robert Groff, from Lancaster was gunned down after he got into an altercation with Gregory Thomas, 43, of Wilder Street, in South Philadelphia. Thomas was working for a security company and his was unarmed.

As the confrontation became heated, Thomas went to his nearby Jeep, which contained a duffel bag. He got a duffel bag from his vehicle and pulled out a pistol. He is alleged to have shot Groff multiple times.  Thomas technically not supposed to be parked where he was as it is an authorized only zone. Never the less,  after the shooting,, Thomas ran back to his vehicle and sped away, Police said he did not notify anyone or call 911 about the shooting.. It was, in fact , bystanders that notified police about a block away that there was a shooting.

Police transported Groff to Jefferson Hospital, where he died at 9:08 PM. Witnesses filled police in on what happened.  An operations supervisor for the security company found Thomas at his South Philadelphia home.  He then spoke with him a bit, got him calmed down and transported Thomas to Police Headquarters. He is being held with out bail.