A 17-year-old boy was shot as he slept on a couch after someone opened fire into a row home in Philadelphia’s Ogontz neighborhood Wednesday morning, police said.
The boy and two other teens, one of whom is an adult, were hanging out and playing video games in the home on the 1900 block of Leveer Street when someone walked onto the porch and fired at least nine shots shortly before 1:30 a.m., Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
“It’s clear that the shooter or shooters were firing intentionally into the living room window of this property because that’s where all the bullet holes were found,” Small said.
The couch was near the front window, with the shooter firing from a short distance and striking the boy three times in the leg, the chief inspector said. Some of the bullets pierced the couch, while others struck the ceiling and the living and dining room walls.
Police found several shell casings from a semiautomatic gun on the front porch.
“He’s really, really lucky because the shooter clearly was standing on the porch firing most of the shots and was just several feet away,” Small said.
The boy was taken to Einstein Medical Center and listed in stable condition.
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It’s unclear if the boy was targeted, and no one was able to provide a description of the gunman. Police were searching the area for surveillance video that might help their investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia.Further information can be found here.
