gun violence

Woman Shot, Killed in Doorway of Her Home

A woman died in the vestibule of her East Clementine Street home after being shot at least once

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A 57-year-old woman was shot and killed in the doorway of her Kensington neighborhood home early Tuesday morning.

The deadly shooting took place around 1:30 a.m. along East Clementine Street near Kensington Avenue, Philadelphia police said.

Officers arrived to find the woman -- later identified as Tiffany Blassengale -- in the vestibule of her home bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Blassengale was pronounced dead a short time later.

Her husband and at least one other person was home at the time, police said.

Investigators found evidence of one bullet casing on the steps outside the home, Small said.

The shooting occurred during an argument, investigators said. Police spent hours at the scene and have yet to announce any suspects.

This killing was one of at least four homicides reported in Philadelphia over a little more than a 12-hour period. The deadly shootings included a mass shooting Monday afternoon in Fern Rock that left a 26-year-old man dead.

As of the end of Monday, there were 386 reported homicides in Philadelphia, up 16% from the same time last year which was one of the deadliest on record in the city’s history.

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.

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