2 convicted of deadly 2022 shooting of Philadelphia sanitation worker

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man was sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors say he gunned down a sanitation worker as he was collecting trash over two years ago.

Nushar Scott, 42, was convicted of the deadly November 2022 shooting of 35-year-old Ikeem Johnson, who was shot to death while on the job in Mayfair.

Rasheen Trusty, 33, was also found guilty for driving Scott to and from the scene of the murder. He will be sentenced in June, according to prosecutors.

What we know:

Investigators say Scott was dropped off by Trusty near the corner of Bleigh and Rowland avenues, and stalked Johnson for several minutes as he collected trash.

Scott, according to investigators, was wearing a black mask and latex gloves when he fired more than two dozen shots at Johnson from two different caliber guns.

Johnson was struck at least 15 times, police said, and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Through DNA evidence and cell phone data collected by investigators, they found that Trusty drove Scott to a Northern Liberties apartment after the deadly shooting.

Scott was arrested in January, 2023, and Trusty was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals a few months later.

Over two years later, prosecutors say a jury convicted both Scott and Trusty after "only several hours of deliberation."

What they're saying:

District Attorney Larry Krasner touted his office's work to bring Johnson's family "a modicum of closure" with the arrests and convictions of Scott and Trusty.

"While this jury conviction cannot bring back Ikeem Johnson, we can rest easier knowing that these two dangerous individuals are off the streets and that this hopefully brings a modicum of closure to his grieving family," said Krasner.

Johnson's mother, Kim, attended a Tuesday press conference about the convictions and shared memories of her son and urged others to "put the guns down."

"Ikeem was a great dad, he loved being a father," she said. "I also want to say that there are no winners in situations like this, put the guns down and stop this violence."