Gunfire rang out at a North Philadelphia block party Sunday night leaving three teenagers, including two young women caught in the crossfire, shot.
The teens were among a group of about 400 people gathered around 9:30 p.m. in a courtyard area near 18th and Jefferson streets, enjoying a warm summer night. A gunman in dark clothing opened fire.
When officers arrived they found an 18-year-old woman with a graze wound to her head who was alert and talking, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Investigators then learned of a 16-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg and an 18-year-old man, shot multiple times in abdomen and both legs, who were driven to Hahnemann Hospital. The girl was in stable condition while the 18-year-old was in critical condition.
The 18-year-old “may have been the intended target,” Small said. The others were likely struck by stray gunfire as at least five shots were fired.
Philadelphia and housing authority police dispersed the crowd without further violence, despite tensions rising following the shooting, Small said.
Police said the suspected shooter is around 18 years old, thin and stands around 5-feet, 8-inches tall.
