A man with multiple murder counts and another inmate escaped from a Philadelphia correctional facility, kicking off an urgent search to return them to custody, authorities said.
Ameen Hurst, 18, and Nasir Grant, 24, escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center through a hole in the recreation yard fence at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to authorities. Prison officials determined the men were missing Monday during a 3 p.m. headcount after failing to realize their absences in the previous three headcounts.
“We are adamant and working tirelessly to get these two dangerous individuals back in custody, and that is the focus of our investigation,” Blanche Carney, commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Prisons, said Monday at a news conference.
“We have protocols in place, and those protocols were not followed, so that will be part of our investigation.”
Hurst was arrested in the killings of four people between December 2020 and March 2021, officials said. Hurst is believed to be in the company Grant, who was jailed on criminal conspiracy, violation of a firearm and drug charges.
The investigation will try to determine why the men were considered accounted for during the 11 p.m., 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. headcounts. Both men carry $20,000 rewards for anyone who provides information leading to their arrests.
“Clearly, the system screwed up,” Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said. “People didn’t do what they’re supposed to do. It’s clear. We want to find out exactly who, exactly how often, and what we’ve got to do to sure it back up again. I’m really angry about it. There’s no reason for this.”
The incident occurred weeks after four inmates escaped from a Mississippi detention center. All four have since been captured.