Two teenage boys were shot in the back Friday night in North Philadelphia.
The boys, aged 13 and 14, were on the 2300 block of N. 30th Street, in the city’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, when gunfire rang out as they crossed the street shortly after 8 p.m., police said.
The 13-year-old was shot twice while the 14-year-old was shot once. Both were taken to Temple University hospital, where they were listed in stable condition, police said.
Investigators did not recover any weapons or immediately make any arrests, not did they reveal a possible motive. The suspect was described as a man between 18 and 26 years old who was wearing all black clothes and was last seen running down 30th Street toward Gordon Street.
The Friday night shooting was only the latest instance of violence in a year that has seen a 48% spike in homicides compared to the same time last year. Thirty-four people have been killed in the city already in 2020, according to figures by the Philadelphia Police Department.
New Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has vowed to address gun violence in the city. She takes office next month.
