A teen girl was shot by a stray bullet while inside the kitchen of a Philadelphia home as the wave of gun violence continued in the city over the weekend.
The 17-year-old girl was in the kitchen of a home on the 2100 block of East Birch Street in the city's Kensington neighborhood Sunday afternoon when she was shot once in the back by a stray bullet. The girl was taken to the hospital where she is currently in stable condition.
A 25-year-old man who was outside was shot twice in he abdomen. He was taken to the hospital where he is also in stable condition.
Police said they made an arrest in the shooting though they have not yet revealed the suspect's identity.
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The incident was the third double shooting in the city on Sunday.
Shortly before 2:30 a.m., a 36-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man were both shot on 56th and Wyalusing streets.
The woman was shot five times in the left side while the man was shot once in the left leg. Police said the woman identified the 37-year-old man as the gunman. They were both taken to the hospital and are in stable conditions. Police continue to investigate.
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At 6:16 a.m., a gunman shot and killed a man and woman who were both in their mid-to-late 20’s on the 4800 block of North Howard Street. The man was shot twice in the head while the woman was shot once in the head. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene by medics at 6:22 a.m. No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered.
Philadelphia is grappling with a wave of gun violence, with nearly 450 non-fatal shootings and more than 100 fatal shootings as of mid-April, according to the City Controllers' office. As of Saturday night, there have been 146 homicides in Philadelphia in 2021, up 28% from the same time last year which ended up being one of the deadliest years in the city’s history.
On NBC10's @Issue Sunday, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson said violence stems in part from years of disinvestment in the city's young people, and called for programs that would keep youth employed, off the streets and safe.
"When you think about the family members who have lost loved ones to gun violence, they are dealing with a level of trauma. But also, let's look at our neighborhoods and our communities," Johnson said. "When they see a 6-year-old get shot and their father murdered, that whole community is suffering."
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
