PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Police Department has a person of interest in custody in connection to an early-morning shooting near Temple University. At least six people were shot in several incidents Saturday night into Sunday morning. Three of the victims are teenagers, including a 15-year-old boy in critical condition.
The violence overnight followed an earlier string of unrelated shootings across the city that started Friday night, resulting in two deaths and four injuries.
The 15-year-old was shot in the head, back and shoulder during a gunfight shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday on the 1400 block of North 23rd Street in North Philadelphia, according to police. He was placed in critical condition when he was brought to the hospital.
Investigators say, in a separate incident around 9:30 Saturday night, a 16-year-old was shot in the chest on the 2700 block of Axe Factory Road near Pennypack Park in the Northeast. The boy was hit in the stomach. He is now in stable condition.
No arrests were made. No weapons were recovered.
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Gunfire near Temple University
Information from the police about their person of interest described an altercation involving a man who pulled a gun and aimed it at a security guard escorting him outside near Diamond and North 10th streets, close to the offices for Temple University’s football team.
According to police, the security guard fired at the man, hitting him. Then the man fired his gun, hitting three women: a 20-year-old, in the right arm, a 19-year-old, in the left leg, and a 47-year-old, in the right arm. Police say they are all in stable condition.
Police said they recovered a gun at the scene and took the man under investigation into custody.
Police earlier reported a 23-year-old man was in critical condition after being shot in his left side shortly before 3 a.m. It is not clear if this is the same person in police custody.
'Second nature to us'
Bullets are said to have pierced the window of nearby Hubble Bubble Hookah Lounge.
Many students were unaware of what happened overnight, but undergraduate student Angelina Talucci says it’s a story all too familiar.
“The stuff that goes around campus, it comes second nature to us, especially being here for two years. My freshman year, I was more nervous and had a lot of anxiety but as time went on I definitely got used to it,” Talucci said, “which isn’t such a good thing.”
Some people in her friend group say they’re scared sometimes of what happens but that staying vigilant is the best way to cope. She said a friend of hers had just reported a shooting — “right outside her door, so it’s definitely something we keep our eye on.”
She said there are some discussions among her friends about what the community could do to decrease the amount of violence on and near campus. She says ultimately it comes down to respect.
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“It’s moreso the community respecting the school and the school respecting the community — and we have to work together as a group. And we’re just not doing that right now.”
“It seems like they don’t really shine a light to it as much — and I feel like, especially Temple, and being in that area, the administration has to step up.”