What to Know
- Authorities say a man was killed and two teenagers were wounded when at least 18 shots were fired at two cars in Philadelphia Monday night.
- The 21-year-old man was found when police responding to reports of shots fired at an intersection found a car had struck a parked vehicle.
- Police soon located another vehicle that had sped away from the scene and found two boys, ages 14 and 17, who had been wounded in the shooting.
A young man died while two teenagers were injured after at least 18 shots from two different weapons were fired at two vehicles in Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood Monday night.
Police responded to 51st Street and Chester Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. for reports of gunshots. When they arrived they found a 21-year-old man who was inside a Mercedes that had crashed into a parked vehicle. The man was suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso and was taken to Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:17 p.m.
Police said the Mercedes had been struck by seven bullets. A female passenger inside the Mercedes was also injured after glass hit her face.
Police also said they found a semi-automatic weapon by the gas pedal inside one of the cars though they have not yet determined if that gun was used during the shooting.
At the same time, responding officers also found an injured 14-year-old boy and 17-year-old boy inside a vehicle at 52nd and Pine streets in West Philadelphia. That car had been struck by bullets.
“They were driving quickly from the scene,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10. “Initially police thought they may have been the shooters then they caught up to the vehicle, realized they were victims in the car and then immediately transferred them to the police vehicle and rushed them to area hospitals.”
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The 14-year-old was shot in the torso while the 17-year-old was shot in the face. The 14-year-old was listed in stable condition while the 17-year-old was listed in critical condition at area hospitals.
Small told NBC10 18 shots were fired in all from two different weapons. Investigators have not yet determined what led to the shooting or released information on any possible suspects.
The incident occurred near a basketball court and in front of several witnesses.
“We were standing right there at the corner and we heard gunshots,” one of the witnesses told NBC10. “And then that’s when I turned around and I saw this tan car crash. And then I turned around and saw two cars just chasing each other.”
If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia police.
There were two other homicides over a four-hour period in Philadelphia overnight, including a man who was gunned down along Haverford Avenue in Mantua.
Homicides in Philadelphia have been up 28% so far this year with 230 homicides to date in 2020. The total number of killings is the highest since 2007.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia.Further information can be found here.
