What to Know
- Two 17-year-old were gunned down and two other young men were hurt in a South Philadelphia shooting Wednesday night.
- The victims were identified as Jaheim Lamarre and Zahquesz McFadden. Both of them lived nearby, Philadelphia police said.
- Homicides in Philadelphia are up significantly so far this year.
Philadelphia police on Thursday were seeking suspects after two teenagers were killed and two were wounded in a shooting that left the city's police commissioner “at a loss for words.”
Police believe two or more shooters arrived to the 1800 block of Moore Street in South Philadelphia around 8:15 p.m., and began firing at a group of young people hanging outside, leaving behind more than 20 shell casings at the scene.
Officers arrived to find two 17-year-old on the ground with gunshot wounds to their heads and bodies. Jaheim Lamarre and Zahquesz McFadden were both rushed to the hospital where they died moments later. McFadden lived on Moore Street, Lamarre lived on nearby South 19th Street, police said Thursday.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told NBC10 how she and others were feeling after hearing about the violence: outraged, sad, disheartened.
"Each and every time, it appears as though our victims are getting younger and younger," Outlaw said. "It's very difficult to wrap our head around."
Police spent hours gathering evidence and looking at surveillance video as they pieced together what happened.
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They do know that besides the two teens killed, another young man, 17, was shot once in the arm and taken in a private vehicle to Jefferson Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. An 18-year-old man shot once in the right ankle and also treated in stable condition.
At least 306 people have been killed so far this year in Philadelphia, a 32% increase from last year and the highest total since at least 2007. City Council’s Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention featuring Outlaw and District Attorney Larry Krasner is expected to address the surge in shootings at a Thursday hearing.
Speaking about the victims who did not survive and other homicide victims, Outlaw said: "this is yet another person that doesn't have an opportunity to leave their legacy."
More information on what led to the shooting was not immediately available Wednesday. Police reported no arrests and have not recovered a weapon.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
