A 12-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man were shot when a gunman fired more than 30 rounds in a densely packed West Philadelphia row home neighborhood.
The girl was attending some sort of graduation party on the 1300 block of Wanamaker Street, in the city’s Carroll Park neighborhood, when gunfire rang out outside shortly after 9 p.m. Friday, a Philadelphia Police Department staff inspector said.
Friday was the last day of the spring term for students in the School District of Philadelphia. The girl was hit once in the leg. The 27-year-old, who was struck in the jaw, leg and shoulder, was apparently not part of the party.
Both were taken to a hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.
At least 31 shell casings were found at the scene, the staff inspector said. Bullets pierced windows and struck nearby cars. Multiple children stood outside their homes as police surveyed the area. One boy sat on his father's shoulders.
“Unfortunately we’re coming in contact with this more often where we have extended magazines and so we have a lot more rounds in these areas. It’s unfortunate because a lot of times we hit victims that aren’t intended targets and now we have a 12-year-old girl,” the staff inspector said.
It’s unclear who opened fire and why, and no description of a suspect was immediately available.
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The Carroll Park shooting follows a week in which the city saw multiple shootings, with gun violence continuing unabated even as more people stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak.
On Friday, a group of masked men hopped out of a car and wounded six people when they fired at a group standing on a corner in the Hunting Park neighborhood.
On Tuesday, three teens were struck and one died of his injuries in separate shootings throughout the city.
The staff inspector at the Carroll Park shooting asked parents to remain vigilant because shootouts are leading to more children being struck, even when they are not the intended targets.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence. Further information can be found here.
