2 Dead, 6 Hurt as Violence Heats Up in Philly

A woman is dead, a teenager is dead, five men are hurt and another is paralyzed as violence rose along with the temperature in Philadelphia.

No one has been arrested for the five shootings that occurred in five different sections of the city last night.

The first shooting left Amanda Martinez, 20, dead and three men -- ages 18, 21 and 35 -- injured after gunshots rang out just before 6 p.m. at Somerset and N Lee Streets in the Kensington section of the city.

Investigators say there were up to 100 people outside when a brawl between two women escalated. Anywhere up to 20 total people got involved and a man began shooting into the crowd. Martinez, an innocent bystander who lived nearby, was hit by a stray bullet. She would have turned 21-years-old on Thursday.

"We lost a loved one," said Marisol Fresses, Martinez's mother. "She was my baby. She was my only one."

While Fresses wants the shooter to be found, she also believes the girl involved in the initial fight should be held responsible as well.

"The person that pulled the trigger, they have to find them," said Fresses. "But I want to press charges on the girl who came to the block to fight the other girl."

The violent night was just beginning.

Just after 7 p.m. a man was shot in the arm on the 100 block of Raymond Street in Hunting Park. His condition wasn’t released.

Less than an hour later, just before 8 p.m. a 47-year-old man was shot in the thigh at W Girard Avenue and N Taney Street in Strawberry Mansion. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Just after 11 p.m. an 18-year-old man riding his bike around 54th and Chestnut Streets in West Philly was shot.

Police arrived to find Marquis Battle, of the 100 block of S 54th Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and leg. He died a short time later at the hospital.

Police questioned a person in that case. Small also said investigators would look into surveillance footage from area businesses.

Then, just before midnight, a group of five men chased down and shot a man at 34th and Mount Vernon Streets in Mantua.

Police say the victim was possibly targeted. He suffered at least two gunshot wounds to the face and one in the arm. He remained in extremely critical condition Wednesday morning -- likely paralyzed from the neck down.

“The five males we believe dispersed in different areas of this community,” said Police Lt. John Walker. “Obviously somebody knows what's going on here. We just need them to come forward to get these people off the street.”

Overall homicides in the city are down from 92 last year to 60 this year but that doesn't mean all deadly violence has ceased.

"There are times when you have these outbreaks of violence, it’s very unfortunate," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told NBC10's Jesse Gary. "Now you have this man who is paralyzed from the neck down, it’s just crazy."

So did warm weather play a role in the shootings?

These are "just violent people, the weather doesn’t seem to matter much to them," said Ramsey.

Anyone who knows anything about any of the shootings should contact Philadelphia Police.