It was a normal day for Henry Joel. That was until he heard the sound.
"I was in the house," Joel said. "And I heard, 'Pa, pa, pa, pa pa!'"
It was the deafening sound of gunfire.
As Joel looked outside, he spotted his pregnant neighbor, Renee Dixon, along with two other people, on the ground and bleeding profusely.
"The cops had to pick her up from both sides to put her in the police car to take her to the hospital right away," he said.
Shortly before 4 p.m., just feet away from children on a playground, police say a silver car pulled up on West Dakota Street in North Philadelphia and opened fire.
Dixon, who is five-months pregnant, was struck in the chest, right hip, buttocks and left thigh. The 32-year-old was taken to Temple University where she is listed in critical condition.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
A 29-year-old man was shot twice in the left elbow and twice in the left ankle. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is also listed in serious condition.
Finally, a 24-year-old woman was grazed in the right thigh. She was taken to Hahnemann Hospital. Police have not yet revealed her condition however.
Police say a man on a bike may have returned gunfire during the shooting but they have not yet confirmed this.
"At this point we're not sure if any of the victims was involved in the shooting," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. "We're also not sure if any of the three were the intended target."
No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate.
If you have any information on this incident, please call Philadelphia Police.
