Philadelphia

Gunmen Shoot Man in Wheelchair in Head, Chase Down Caretaker

Gunmen open fire on man in wheelchair in what police call a home invasion/homicide

A caretaker ran for his life after two gunmen shot and killed a man using a wheelchair in a home invasion/homicide in the Tioga section of Philadelphia overnight.

The armed men forced their way into a home on the 3300 block of North Gratz Street late Thursday night as the caretaker helped the unidentified man inside, Philadelphia Police said.

"They just returned home," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "The caretaker was helping the 36-year-old who was in the wheelchair up the steps and into the front door of his home."

The 36-year-old victim struggled to keep the door closed, but the suspects shot him in the head causing the victim to fall onto the ground in his living room, police said.

The 51-year-old caretaker ran from the scene.

"They chased him south on Gratz Street," Small said.

the gunmen shot the caretaker in the leg and back leaving him hospitalized in stable condition, police said.

A woman and four children – including 7-year-old twins and a 4-year-old – were upstairs in the home at the time of the shooting and heard the shooting, Small said.

Police found bullet casings from two separate weapons. Investigators said both suspects wore black during the attack and one had a beard.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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