A gunman shot and killed a teenager and injured another teen near a playground in Southwest Philadelphia.
The 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old boy were on South Ithan Street near Grays Avenue at 7:29 p.m. Thursday when a gunman opened fire.
The 16-year-old was shot once in the chest while the 13-year-old was shot once in the right arm.
An officer who was on patrol spotted the 16-year-old boy -- later identified as Quamir Mitchell from the Logan section of Philadelphia -- and took him to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he died just before 8 p.m.
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The 13-year-old boy managed to run down Ithan Street where a driver picked him up and drove him to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he was listed in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his arm, Philadelphia Police said.
Police said they later found a man at 58th Street and Woodland Avenue who matched the description of the gunman. He was taken into custody after a short chase. On Friday, however, police said no arrest had been made in the shooting of the teens.
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to give them a call or submit an anonymous tip.
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As of the end of Wednesday night, there were 192 homicides so far this year, up 40% from the same time last year which was one of the deadliest in Philadelphia's history.
“Earlier tonight, yet another incident of senseless gun violence has taken the life of one teenager, and seriously injured another,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. “The pain and trauma experienced in our communities is unimaginable, and we must not allow these tragedies to become our new normal. Our department will do everything in its power to bring justice to these victims and their families.”
Last month, federal officials announced an “all-hands-on-deck” approach that would add resources to prosecute local gun crimes. Former Mayor Ed Rendell even floated the idea of bringing back retired police officers.
Mayor Jim Kenney recently proposed $18.7 million in additional funding for anti-violence initiatives for the city's next fiscal year.
"Over five years, we're planning to increase our investment in proven violence reduction strategies by $70 million," he wrote.
More details on the city's anti-violence plan can be found here.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
