gun violence

Husband, wife shot, killed just feet from their home

'They're husband and wife and they were returning home and they were just a few feet from the front steps of their house when they were shot multiple times and killed,' Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said

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Someone shot and killed a couple as they returned to their West Philadelphia home early Friday, with the majority of the 18 shots fired at them from close range.

The married couple have been identified as 47-year-old Andrew Bullock and 42-year-old Nicole Lee-Bullock.

The deadly shooting took place around 2:45 a.m. along Locust Street, near 61st Street, in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood, Philadelphia police said.

"They're husband and wife and they were returning home and they were just a few feet from the front steps of their house when they were shot multiple times," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Medics pronounced the Bullock's dead at the scene a short time later. Both were shot in their head, police said.

The couple's bodies were found one house away from their family home, Small said. There were family members in the home at the time.

Investigators found evidence that at least 18 shots were fired at the couple, Small said.

"It appears that the shooter or shooters fired at least 15 of these shots from point blank-range," Small said.

The woman had a firearm on her, but never pulled it from the holster, Small said.

It didn't appear the couple was robbed as a purse and their cellphones were left at the scene, but police couldn't rule out robbery as a motive.

Police hoped that surveillance video could help them track down whoever killed the couple.

Entering Friday, at least 218 people have been killed in Philadelphia so far this year, according to police data. That's down about 20% from last year at this same time, but at a pace that is ahead of many other recent years on record.

There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.

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