A woman died from her injuries while two other women as well as three children were hurt after gunfire hit their van in the Ogontz section of Philadelphia Wednesday night.
It was unclear why the van came under fire as the 23-year-old woman drove along Broad Street near Grange Avenue around 8:30 p.m.
At least five gunshots struck the driver’s side of the van and the female driver lost control of the vehicle before crashing head-on into a nearby building on the 5800 block of Old York Road.
The woman, who was shot at least once, was pronounced dead at 9 p.m. The woman’s five passengers, two women in their 20s, and two girls and a boy between the ages of 2 and 6, were also injured in the crash though police say none of them were shot. The five passengers were taken to Einstein Hospital where they were listed in stable condition.
Two men in gray hoodies could be seen fleeing the scene, police said. They may have been driving in a dark-colored vehicle based on witness accounts.
Witnesses say that vehicle was last seen traveling north on the 5800 block of Broad Street. The shooting and crash occurred in an area with several businesses and investigators checked for surveillance video.
Police have not released the victim’s identity but say the van she was driving is registered in her family’s name. They also say the address of the registration may be about a mile away from the location of the shooting.
Horace Timmons, the uncle of the woman who died, told NBC10 the injured passengers included the victim's twin sister as well as her niece and nephew.
"She's a bright young lady," Timmons said. "Graduated with honors from high school. Was currently working for the school board and UPS. She had two jobs. She was about to move into her own place. Conscientious. Goodhearted. Didn't deserve for this to happen to her."
Philadelphia police don't believe the van was targeted nor do they believe it was a case of road rage.
If you have any information on the shooting, please contact Philadelphia police.
