A young woman sitting on her front porch died Tuesday night after being shot in the head by an apparent stray bullet in North Philadelphia.
Crystal Roman-Benitez, 23, was outside her home on the 2500 block of North 9th Street shortly before 9:30 p.m. when an unidentified gunman opened fire a few hundred feet away, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Roman-Benitez, shot at least once in the head, did not appear to be the intended target, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said. She was taken to Temple University Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 9:46 p.m.
"It appears, by at least a preliminary investigation, that she was clearly an innocent victim," Coulter said.
A 54-year-old man, who also did not appear to be targeted, suffered a graze wound, the commissioner added. He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is listed in stable condition.
The gunman may have been inside a dark-colored vehicle when he or she fired at least three times, Small said. Police also said the woman's child was inside the home at the time of the shooting.
"It's truly what keeps you up at night. When you have a 23-year-old who's sitting in front of the house or talking to people, it's just incomprehensible that someone would go out on the street, commit gun violence and wind up taking the life of a beautiful young lady who really had nothing to do with whatever their beef was," Coulter said.
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No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered. Police also have not yet released a description of the suspect and are trying to review surveillance video.
