PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia police are searching for a man they say was captured on video during a gunpoint robbery in Center City last month, as the victim described the frightening encounter and said he is thankful to be alive. Investigators say the same suspect may also be connected to three other robberies across the city.
The victim told NBC10 that he was the man shown being robbed in the video. He said two masked men approached him near Sansom Street shortly before 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 28, one carrying a handgun and the other carrying what police described as an AR-15-style rifle.
Police said the robbers fled with a diamond-encrusted watch and two gold chains worth thousands of dollars. The victim was not physically injured, but he said the encounter left him shaken and convinced that his life was at risk.
How the Sansom Street robbery unfolded
According to police, the robbery happened on the 1200 block of Sansom Street as the victim walked eastbound in the early morning hours. The men were dressed in black clothing and wore black face coverings, investigators said. They stepped out of a dark gray Nissan Altima and walked toward him with weapons drawn.
The video circulating from the incident shows the armed men closing in on the victim before taking his jewelry and leaving the scene. Police said the suspects ran northbound on South 13th Street after the robbery. The victim later said the sudden attack felt unreal and happened too quickly for him to react.
He told NBC10 that he felt someone tug at his chains before realizing he was being robbed. In that moment, he said, he believed the men were prepared to kill him if he resisted. He said he placed his trust in God and survived the encounter without injury.
The victim says the robbery changed him, but not his goals
The victim said he was grateful to make it through the ordeal alive, and he emphasized that he does not plan to let the robbery derail his future. He said he wants to continue pursuing work as a mental health and motivational speaker, a path he believes still matters after what he experienced.
He described the incident as a terrifying moment, but said he feels he has a larger purpose. In his view, the robbery was a warning, not a stopping point. He said he is determined to keep moving forward rather than letting fear control what happens next.
His account added a personal dimension to a case that police are already treating as part of a broader robbery pattern. Officers say they are trying to identify everyone involved and determine exactly how the incidents are connected.
Police tie Shakur Nichols to the handgun role
Investigators later identified the suspect believed to have carried the handgun as 32-year-old Shakur Nichols. Police said the dark gray Nissan Altima used in the robbery was found outside Nichols’ home in South Philadelphia. During a search warrant at that address, they also said they recovered the black and white New Balance sneakers Nichols was wearing during the robbery.
Nichols was first taken into custody for questioning, but police later released him while the investigation continued. On Monday, Sept. 21, officers announced that they had issued a warrant for his arrest and were now seeking him with help from the FBI Fugitive Task Force.
Police have not said publicly where Nichols may be, but they continue to treat him as a wanted suspect in the Sansom Street robbery. Investigators also said they are still working to determine the full scope of his possible involvement in the other cases.
Another Center City robbery may be part of the same pattern
Police said the Sansom Street holdup is connected to another armed robbery that happened a few days earlier on the 1500 block of Locust Street around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23. In that case, investigators said two suspects carried handguns and a third appeared to have an AR-15-style rifle.
According to police, three victims were ordered to the ground and told to hand over their belongings. Two complied, while at least one suspect pistol-whipped a third victim in the face. The robbers stole cellphones, watches, car keys, wallets, driver’s licenses and an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing eastbound in a gray Honda Accord. Police said a fourth suspect was driving.
A witness recorded part of that robbery and posted the footage on social media. NBC10 also spoke with one of the victims from that case, giving investigators another public link between the incidents.
Robbery spree spread beyond Center City, police say
Investigators said the suspects from the Locust Street robbery were later seen on video at Sin City Cabaret Nightclub on the 6100 block of Passyunk Avenue around 3:40 a.m. that same morning. Police said two of the suspects then followed a woman who worked at the club and robbed her at gunpoint on Tackawanna Street.
Police also said some of the same people may have been involved in a fourth robbery at 5719 Haddington Lane on Sept. 1. While officers believe all four robberies are related, they have not confirmed that Nichols was involved in the Aug. 23 incidents or the Haddington Lane robbery.
The investigation remains active, and police are asking anyone with information to contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
