A spree of Philadelphia shootings at a gas station, near parks and at a Rite Aid parking lot left at least four people dead in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police said a 29-year-old man was at a gas station on the 5000 block of Wynnefield Avenue around 5:15 a.m. when an unknown shooter opened fire and fatally struck him once in the chest. They initially said he was struck in the shoulder.
A spent shell casing and a vehicle next to a pump could be seen as police roped off the area.
In South Philadelphia, a double shooting shortly before 1 a.m. left a 30-year-old man dead and a 25-year-old man critically wounded. Police said the 30-year-old sustained multiple gunshots throughout the body, while the 25-year-old was shot twice. The shooting happened on the 1700 block of S. Hollywood street, in front of a home on a residential neighborhood mere yards from a park.
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In Southwest Philadelphia, police said a 46-year-old man died at a Rite Aid parking lot on the 6800 block of Woodland Avenue after another unknown gunman opened fire around 1:36 a.m.
Another shooting left a 34-year-old man dead around 3:20 a.m. near the intersection of Kensington Avenue and E. Tioga Street. The intersection is next to Harrowgate Park.
Police did not immediately announce an arrest in any of the shootings.
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The four slayings took the number of killings in Philadelphia to at least 333 this year, according to Philadelphia Police Department figures. That number represents an increase from the same time last year, which was one of the deadliest on record.
City leaders are hoping more funds can help stem the violence. The new city budget allocates nearly $156 million on anti-violence measures, $22 million of which will go toward the Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant Program. The program is designed to provide funds to organizations working toward reducing violent crime in the city.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
