A fight between teens, argument between dog walkers and confrontation with a burglar led to three separate shootings and six people injured in North Philadelphia overnight. Here's what we know about all three shootings.
Fight between teens leads to triple shooting
The first shooting occurred shortly after 2 a.m. along the 1900 block of West Allegheny Avenue. Investigators said two groups of teens were walking in the area and began arguing with each other. At least one of the teens then pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting a 15-year-old boy in the leg, a 16-year-old boy in the leg, and a 42-year-old man in the lower back.
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Responding police officers found 21 spent shell casings along a sidewalk as well as a storage facility property next to the sidewalk.
All three victims were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police believe the 42-year-old victim was an innocent bystander.
No weapons were recovered and no arrests were made. Police said the shooter was last seen walking eastbound along the 1900 block of Allegheny Avenue but they have not released a detailed description of the suspect.
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“It appears from what the witness told us as well as the juveniles at the hospital, they believe that one person was firing the shots but we found 21 spent shell casings. So it’s possible that there was an extended magazine used,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. “We’re not ruling out the possibility of two shooters but once our detectives collect the spent shell casings, they’ll be able to determine if they were fired from the same weapon or different weapons.”
Small also said police found numerous businesses along Allegheny Avenue with surveillance cameras.
Teens and children have made up about 13 percent of the more than 700 shooting victims in Philadelphia so far in 2024, according to data from the City Controller's Office.
Confrontation between 2 dog walkers leads to double shooting
A second shooting occurred around 3 a.m. along Almond and Elkhart streets. Surveillance video showed the suspect walking a dog along with a 29-year-old walking a dog. A confrontation between the two ensued and the suspect then pulled out a gun and opened fire, police said.
The 29-year-old man was shot in the neck, chest and abdomen while a 35-year-old man was shot in the arm. Both victims were taken to the hospital where the 29-year-old is in critical condition while the 35-year-old is stable.
While police said the shooting was captured on video, they have not yet released a description of the suspect.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Burglar shoots neighbor armed with machete, police say
The third shooting occurred shortly before 4 a.m. along the 2000 block of Bodine Street. Witnesses told investigators they spotted a home that was being burglarized and noticed the air conditioner was being pulled from the window. Neighbors, including a 56-year-old man who was armed with a machete, then went to the home to investigate and spotted a burglar leaving through the front door, police said.
The burglar then pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting the 56-year-old man in the abdomen, police said. The victim was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle and is currently in critical condition. Police said the owner of the home that was burglarized was sleeping during the entire ordeal. That homeowner also told Telemundo 62 that the shooting victim is his brother.
Investigators said the suspect appeared to be a young man in his early 20s who was last seen heading west on Berks Street. Police are combing through surveillance video and speaking with witnesses as the investigation continues.
If you have information on any of the three incidents, please call Philadelphia police.
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